


Only the Lonely

by Lirillith



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Coming of Age, Multi, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-01
Updated: 2012-03-02
Packaged: 2017-10-31 23:28:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 49,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/349509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lirillith/pseuds/Lirillith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kotetsu returns from retirement and starts coming to Karina's performances again, she thinks she has her chance to get closer to him at last... but that also means getting to know his partner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for [a prompt on the anon meme](http://t-and-b-anon.dreamwidth.org/3254.html?thread=4362934#cmt4362934), where I started it as an experiment in writing Karina. I had no idea at the beginning that it would end up where it did. 
> 
> For the purposes of this fic, there are three four-month Hero TV seasons a year, and NC 1979 roughly equals 2011 CE, give or take a few holographic projection screens. In other words, Roy Orbison and Bob Marley were both a bit before Kotetsu's time, and I just threw up my hands in despair over b&w newsreel footage of Mr. Legend.

Karina didn't forget about him during the year he was gone. How could she?

To be fair, she didn't really try. She wrote songs about him, and listened endlessly to songs that reminded her of him. Fire Emblem had struck up some kind of a friendship with Barnaby, and Origami seemed to be in touch with him, too, and she knew Barnaby was still in touch with Tiger, so she tried to get any news of him through them. That made it, what, third-hand? Origami was usually obliging, though he said there wasn't much; Tiger was living with his family, he seemed to be settling in well, he and his daughter were on good terms.

Fire Emblem, she suspected, knew more, if there was any more to know; he was good at picking up on that kind of thing. But he didn't like to tell her. "Don't you think you should let it go, sweetie?"

"I just want to know what's going on with him. I'm curious about Barnaby, too!"

"You and I both know it's different."

" _Everyone_ knows," she said, bitterly. "I don't see why that means everyone has to torment me."

"I'm not tormenting you. I just have your best interests at heart."

He probably did. She knew she'd be better off going after someone her own age. Someone with no children, certainly not any children less than ten years younger than she was. "But all the others..."

"That's just men for you."

Despite that, she'd even sometimes ask Rock Bison about him. He'd let a few tidbits drop. Kotetsu - Rock Bison always called him that, and she never used the name herself, but privately, she sometimes thought of him that way - was from Oriental Town. She'd always been taught that Oriental was used to describe rugs, not people or places, but Bison said it was named nearly a hundred years ago. He mentioned the fact Kotetsu's wife had died six years ago, nearly seven, back when Karina was the age Kaede was now. They both used to be punks, he said, and she wasn't sure whether that meant they'd been kind of petty criminals, or if they'd literally listened to punk music. Or both? If she pressed him for details, he'd laugh indulgently, making her hate him to death for a few seconds, and say "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

And then he came back to town, and she could.

* * *

The first that she knew he was back was when he turned up at one of her gigs in the beginning of December. She didn't see him until she was taking her bow, and then she just froze, for a second. She could barely keep herself from jumping off the stage and running over to him, but even if she threw herself into his arms, she wouldn't get the reaction she wanted. When she did walk over - she _walked,_ thank you - he turned to face her. "You're the last person I expected to see here," she said.

"Well, I'm back in town. Figured I'd see if you were still singing here."

"Occasionally," she said, gesturing the bartender over. She always drank iced tea.

"You didn't drop it in favor of being a hero?"

"I don't see why I can't do both."

"Fair enough."

"So what brings you here?" she asked. Christmas shopping, maybe. Visiting Barnaby.

"I'm starting up with the Second League."

"Really?!" That had come out a lot louder and more excited than she'd wanted. A few people turned to look at them. He made a shushing gesture, and she flushed, taking a gulp of her tea. "But weren't you losing your powers?" she asked, her voice much lower.

"Why should I let that stop me?"

"What about your partner?" She hoped that hadn't sounded as sharp as it had kind of felt. Barnaby had always bothered her; the new hero who'd come out of nowhere to snag the King of Heroes title for himself, who monopolized so much of Tiger's attention, who was closer to him than she could ever seem to get.

"Bunny's got a lot of things to figure out for himself," he said. She sipped her tea, watching him out of the corner of her eye. He was going to be living here. She'd see him again. She didn't need to stare, even if she wanted to. "So when's your next gig?" he asked.

* * *

He didn't come to every performance, but he came to most of them. The unpredictability helped, in a way - it kept her from giving in to the temptation to either pick out the songs that were all about him, hoping he'd get the idea, or getting shy and keeping those off her set lists. She found out, when Nathan told her a few days later that Tiger was back in town, that she'd been the first to know he was back. It wasn't like he just came to the bar for her; he was there on nights she didn't perform. She knew because he mentioned it to her. But she'd seen him before he told any of the others. She tried not to let on to Nathan, though she figured he suspected something, and hugged the knowledge to herself as she went about her day. Jane kept asking why she was smiling, but no one else seemed to notice.

Winter turned into spring. Barnaby joined the second league, too, so if he'd just stay there for the rest of the season all she needed to do was beat Sky High. Her college applications had all been sent off, the arguments with her parents about whether she was even going to college had died down, and she saw Tiger at her performances. Life was pretty good.

That was what she told him when he asked. "College, huh?" he said, tipping his drink back.

"I don't even know if I want to go to college," she said. "My dad thinks I should, but he wants me to major in something practical that I can do if heroing doesn't work out. Mom would probably back me up if I really decided not to, but... I don't know what I want to do. I can't be a hero forever, and I don't know if my music career's going to last beyond the hero gimmick."

"You can hang in there a long time."

"They aren't going to let _me_ put on an armored suit and keep working till I'm your age."

"Huh. Never thought of it like that." He nodded his thanks to the bartender for his new drink. "Still... commentator jobs, teaching at Hero Academy... there's stuff you could do."

"Did you go to college?"

He laughed. "For one semester. School just wasn't for me. My wife loved it."

That was the first time he'd ever voluntarily mentioned her. She was actually holding her breath, wondering what she could say to draw him out more. She wanted to know what she'd been like, because she wanted to know what kind of woman he'd loved, and she wanted to know what he'd been like, and she thought that this woman whose name she didn't know could illuminate both those things. She wanted to know how he'd talk about her, and if he could talk about one thing close to his heart, maybe he could talk about others. But the words she found were "What did she major in?"

She could have hit herself the moment she heard herself speak. Before he could even try to evade the question, the bartender tapped his watch, and she had to go back to the stage, calling herself an idiot the whole time.

Maybe it was that sting of embarrassment, of having flubbed her best chance yet, of proving to him that she was just a kid after all, that made her throw in "Only the Lonely." It wasn't the only thing she sang - she had several of her own songs in there - but it was what he mentioned when her set was done. "Nice of you to throw in something for my generation," he said, leaning against the stage.

"You're not that old," she said, curt.

"I can't decide if that's a compliment or an insult," he retorted, and something about the way he spoke made her look at him sharply. He wasn't slurring his words, exactly, but he seemed to be picking them out with care. "I always liked old songs. Classics. It's good you know about stuff from before you were born."

"I like lots of things from before I was born," she said softly, pretty sure he was drunk enough to miss something that blatant. He probably would have stone cold sober.

"That's good. Lots of kids these days don't. Like Bunny."

She rolled her eyes. Barnaby listened to opera, because his parents had loved it, as every one of his ten thousand interviews had to mention. Sure, the _singers_ might still be alive, but he was about the worse possible example of kids these days and their music. "You're drunk, aren't you?"

"Only kinda."

She stepped down from the stage. "Give me your keys."

"I'm drunk, not stupid."

"I have them," the bartender called over. It was Steve tonight.

"Thanks," she said to him. "Tiger, have you already called a cab?"

"Don't call me that in public," he protested.

"Should I call you 'old man'?" She walked a few steps away from him, and when he left the stage and followed her, he swayed visibly. "Come on, let's go outside."

"You look a little unsteady on my feet," he said, and slung an arm around her shoulders, laughing. She felt simultaneously hot and cold all over, and very, very aware of the space where his arm was touching her. "Let's go."

"Okay," she said, and they started walking.

"Karina," Steve said, as they passed him, and she stopped to look at him. "Everything okay?"

Yeah, this would look like exactly the kind of situation he should be watching out for, wouldn't it? A drunk customer twice her age hitting on her. "I'm fine," she said, smiling broadly. "He's a friend of my dad's. I'm just going to make sure he gets a cab."

"Okay," he said, and she and Tiger continued their wavering progress toward the door.

* * *

The cool night air on her face helped calm her down a bit, and it might have sobered Tiger up a fraction. She hoped. He sank down onto the curb, and after a moment's hesitation, she joined him. "You don't need to stay," he said. "I'm just waiting for my ride."

"Your ride?" She shivered.

"You shouldn't wear such tiny little dresses," he said, shrugging out of his jacket. "No wonder you're cold."

"I'm fine," she insisted. "My powers..." But she didn't resist when he draped it over her shoulders. It was still warm with his body heat, and she felt like she had when he'd put his arm around her. "What happened? You don't normally drink that much."

"Just... thinking," he said. She pulled her knees up to her chest - no one was around to see if she flashed them, and it's not like Tiger was looking - and rested her folded arms on them. "You're so young, you know?" he continued. "Got your whole life ahead of you. Whole hero career, college, whatever you want."

"That's exactly what scares me," she said, softly.

He went on like he hadn't heard her. "Seems like yesterday I was starting out - me and Tomoe got our first place in Stern Bild when we were twenty. Had to have my folks co-sign the lease. She was going to college, I was the new rookie, we had all these plans... And ten years later she was dead." He said the last part so abruptly, so finally, it shocked her, even though she'd known. She'd wanted him to talk, wanted to get closer to him, but now he was covering his face with his hands and she had no idea what to do. "We had all these plans," he repeated, sounding choked, and she reached out hesitantly, not sure if she should try to touch him or not. "She was so smart, and so... I couldn't believe how lucky I was that she even gave me the time of day. She wanted me to be a hero, she supported me a hundred percent. Most people - who'd want to be married to a hero? You're always running off, you can't make plans - you miss things... Before she died she made me promise."

"What?" she said, feeling stupid, feeling like she was missing something. The jacket had slipped off her shoulders, and she hurriedly put her arms into the sleeves.

"She was in the hospital," he said. "Cancer. We knew she was dying, and I wanted to be there... but I got a call, and she made me go answer it, because people needed help. And had me promise I'd be a hero no matter what. And while I was gone..." He was crying now, and she overcame her hesitation and touched his shoulder. Left her hand there. Part of her felt like that was a horrible promise to ask someone to make, but if you had a husband like Tiger, and you thought he'd probably give up the job he loved to do his duty... but then again, maybe he should have. He did have a daughter. Was that why he felt the need to come back, despite the demotion to the second league, despite his fading powers and all the risk involved in this job?

And that was when she saw the approaching headlights. The car pulled up in front of them - a red sports car. Barnaby. Of course. Tiger's ride. She stood up as he opened the door, but Tiger stayed where he was, wiping his eyes. Barnaby stood for a moment, surveying them, but at a small sob from Tiger he knelt down next to him; he might have acknowledged her with a nod, but anyone could see where his attention was. "Did something happen?" he asked, the question seeming meant more for Tiger than for her. Tiger just leaned forward until his head hit Barnaby's shoulder, though. Barnaby looked up at her.

"He started talking about his wife," she said. "He drank a lot more than usual, and then he started talking about her..." Barnaby frowned slightly as he turned his attention back to Tiger.

"She used to be that young," Tiger said. "Blue Rose's age. Then your age, Bunny."

"Your wife?" Barnaby repeated.

"I wasn't there when she died," Tiger said. He wasn't crying anymore; he just sounded tired, and lonely, and Karina felt like crying instead.

"You should get up, Kotetsu," Barnaby said, his voice more gentle than Karina had ever heard it. Hell, he sounded like _he_ might cry. "Get into the car where it's warm, at least." He stood up, held out a hand to help his partner up, and Karina was surprised when Tiger extended a hand to her as well. She took it, and the two of them hauled him to his feet. He stumbled over to Barnaby's car, and stood there blankly a moment. Barnaby pushed a front seat forward, and Tiger climbed into the back seat. After a moment, he sank out of sight. "Hopefully he'll sleep it off," Barnaby said to her. "Do you know what brought it on? How did you find him?"

Oh. Of course, he didn't know. "I sing here some nights," she said. "We met here by chance quite a while ago - I don't think he comes here just to hear me sing, but when he's here, we talk on my breaks. We were talking about... I mentioned going to college, and he mentioned his wife. He said she'd enjoyed college. Then I went back up on stage, and when my set was done, he was... drunk, I guess. Tipsy."

"He's usually kind of a happy drunk," Barnaby said. "He sounded fine when he called me. Thank you for staying with him. I wouldn't have wanted him to be alone when he's feeling like this."

She didn't want to say this part. Not to Barnaby, the one who'd knocked her down to third. "I was singing some kind of sad songs," she said. "I don't know if that had anything to do with it. He was happy at first, but once we got outside, he got-- like this. So it might have been my fault. Staying with him was the least I could do."

Barnaby shook his head. "I don't think it's your fault. He always wears his wedding ring, have you noticed?" Of _course_ she'd noticed. "After seven years," he added. "I don't think you're the first person to ever make him think of her."

"He told me some other things, but I don't know if I should... I don't know if it's my place to tell."

"Don't," he said. "If he wants me to know, he'll tell me. It's not something I need to know that he's keeping from me, this time. Like his powers."

"He didn't even tell _you?_ "

"He keeps way too many secrets," Barnaby said. "Can you drive?"

"Huh? I can drive my bike, but not a car. Why?"

"I was wondering if you could drive his car to his place. If it's not too much trouble."

She shook her head. "I've been a hero since just before I turned fifteen. I never had time for lessons."

He nodded. "I can give you a lift home, if you'd like. Would you mind helping me get him home?"

"I wouldn't mind. Give me a minute to get my things," she said.

* * *

Her things were the bag containing her school uniform - she'd never mentioned it to Tiger, but getting to play on a Friday night was a step up - a few school books, and her phone and PDA. She was nearly out the door when a thought struck her and she went to retrieve Tiger's keys from the bar area, even though technically she wasn't allowed there. When she let herself into the car, Tiger greeted her with "You need to call your parents, Blue Rose."

"I will," she said, blushing. "It's fine, don't worry."

"Don't make them worry. Parents have it rough."

"Parents?" Barnaby asked, starting the car. "How old are you, Blue Rose?"

"Eighteen," she said. "I mean, I turn eighteen in a week. I'm a senior."

"Close enough," he said. "I thought you were older, though. No offense."

"I'm young enough to still be flattered by that," she pointed out. "And in-character my age is a secret."

"I just never thought to ask," he said. She looked out the window, hoping this line of conversation would die a natural death. Barnaby was merging onto the freeway, and in the silence of the car she heard Tiger snore loudly. She giggled, and heard a chuckle from Barnaby. "This is why I wanted the help," he said.

"I did get his keys from the bar."

"Good. I didn't even think of that before we left. I have no idea how we would have gotten him into his apartment. I guess I could have taken him to mine..."

"He doesn't do this too often, does he?"

"Not really. He's more likely to do it to celebrate than... any other reason." After a moment, he added softly, "I didn't know how much she was still on his mind."

That surprised her. "But you know him so well," she said, unthinkingly.

"Obviously not well enough." He sighed. "I just wish I could help him."

"I do too," she said. She wished she could help him. She wished Barnaby could help him. Anyone. "In the morning, he'll just act like nothing happened, won't he?"

"Almost definitely." He changed lanes to get onto the Bronze ramp. "I'm sure he doesn't feel like this every waking moment. I know I don't. But for me-- it takes more than a few drinks to put me in that state. The anniversary of a death, or... I don't know. Maybe we just handle things differently."

"I remember after you fought Jake. You'd actually smile. Not at _me,_ but with Tiger..."

"Was I really that unfriendly?" When their eyes met, he didn't look unfriendly; shy, and a little sheepish, she thought. "It wasn't deliberate. I just never learned how to get along with people, I guess. Kotetsu was the first to show me how it was done."

"Really? You seem to do all right when you meet fans, or in interviews."

"That's... different. It's almost like being in character, though not to the extent that you or Origami do it. It's really kind of exhausting."

"I had no idea." It made sense, though, the way he could charm the whole city and then have such a terrible attitude in person when she first met him, yet still become a really good, caring friend to Tiger. Most people could only like so many people at a time; not everyone could be Sky High. "Well, no hard feelings."

"Thank you," he said, favoring her with a real smile, and she blinked and looked out the window, wondering if she was blushing. He really was a good-looking guy, and if the interview persona was fake he might not be as insufferable as she'd always thought.


	2. Chapter 2

When Barnaby's car rolled up to the curb in front of a row of townhouses, she jolted awake from a half-doze. "A bit late for you?" Barnaby asked. She heard Tiger snort and stir in the backseat. 

"No, cars just make me sleepy," she said. "Normally I'd be up for a few hours trying to get my homework done before the weekend." 

"Sorry to throw you off-schedule," he said, but climbed out of the car before she could even figure out how to respond to that. She got out as well, still wearing Tiger's jacket, and watched him coax Tiger out of the car. And then scoop him up for a princess carry. She covered her mouth, trying to keep the laughter in, only to fail when Tiger snored again, and fumbled for her cell phone with her free hand. Barnaby was frowning at her as she snapped the picture, but she didn't care. "Tell me you're not going to share that." 

"No, I spent the last three years canceling plans with my friends just so I could out myself by putting a snapshot of you two on Pwitter," she retorted. "This is for my own private entertainment, thank you." And Fire Emblem's and Dragon Kid's, probably. 

"You have the keys?" he asked. 

She pulled out the key ring and jangled it at him, then ran up to the door ahead of him. Once she got the door open, she looked around for a light switch. Behind her, another snore from Tiger set her to giggling again, but there was the switch. 

His apartment looked nice, spacious, if a bit old-fashioned. An open downstairs, and a partial upper floor that probably held his bedroom. Unless that was it, behind the door - no, that was the bathroom. She heard Barnaby enter, and watched him deposit Tiger on the couch. And then watched Tiger flop over sideways. "I think you shouldn't have put him down," she commented. 

"Thank you, Blue Rose. I appreciate the assistance." 

"Well, _I'm_ not the one with super-strength. Why aren't you using it?" 

"It seems like a waste..." he said, but he trailed off thoughtfully. "We're not going to be called out tonight," he said, as if making a decision, and then powered up and scooped Tiger up again. She followed him up the steps to the second floor, feeling a bit like she was prying. There wasn't really anything personal lying around, though. Or at least no obvious porn, which had probably been what she'd most dreaded. That and dirty underwear. He seemed to keep everything pretty clean, though. The bed was unmade, but then so was hers, half the time. There were a few family photos on the window ledge above it. 

Barnaby deposited Tiger on the bed, then bent over him, to -- "Are you undressing him?" 

"I'm taking off his vest. Could you get his shoes?" He didn't sound like he'd noticed her slightly scandalized tone. 

"Okay," she said, though it felt a little weird all the same, taking clothes off of him when he was unconscious. He grumbled a little as she pulled the first shoe off, but didn't seem to notice the second. "And could you help me hold him up?" Barnaby asked. So she was left holding Tiger by the shoulders, a warm weight flopped against her, thinking furiously _I will not blush in front of Barnaby, I will not blush in front of Barnaby,_ while his partner got him out of his vest, draped it over a chair, and then helped her ease him back down. 

And then she nearly jumped out of her skin when Tiger grabbed her hand. "Y'r still here," he mumbled. "Don't go." 

"I, um, I kind of need to." 

He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Hiya, Rose." 

Oh God she'd blushed in front of Barnaby. "Um, hi." She was smiling like an idiot and blushing. "Are you awake?" 

His smile went out like a light. "Yeah. Sort of. Shit. Was Bunny--" 

"I'm right here, Kotetsu." 

"Kay. Don't go anywhere." 

She looked at Barnaby, who had a doubtful look that probably looked pretty similar to hers. "But--" he began. She looked back at Tiger, and saw tears leaking out of his closed eyes. 

"I can stay," she said. "We both can." 

* * *

Once Tiger had dozed off enough that they could leave the bedside without visibly upsetting him, Barnaby pulled her aside to argue in a whisper. 

"You really shouldn't..." He seemed to be looking for the right word. "You were Queen of Heroes last season. I know how busy that leaves you." 

"Tomorrow was going to be a light day anyway. I know what I'm doing." She started walking downstairs. He followed. 

"You already told me you'd normally be doing homework tonight." 

"Yeah, to get it out of the way so I can enjoy my downtime over the weekend!" That had been pretty loud for a whisper. 

"I just don't think you should make any sacrifices--" His whispers were getting pretty loud too. 

"It's not _making a sacrifice!_ Look, I know you and everybody are fully convinced I have a crush on Tiger and it's oh so funny, but he's my friend and he's really unhappy right now, and if it makes him feel better for me to crash on his couch, I think that's more important than having all my calculus done before Sunday night." She really, really wanted to stomp over to the bathroom and slam the door, since it was the only door to slam in the place, but that would wake Tiger. She thought back over what she'd just said, and mentally congratulated herself for avoiding actually admitting anything about any crushes on anyone. 

"All right," Barnaby said after a moment. 

"Wait, what?" 

"That makes sense. I agree with you. And I didn't really want to drive off and risk Kotetsu waking up alone. It's up to you to explain to your parents, though." 

"Oh. Okay." This wasn't at all how she was accustomed to arguments ending. It was like they'd been playing tug-of-war and he'd dropped the rope. "I'll just tell them it's hero business. It's even kind of true." 

He smiled. "I'm going to get a book out of the car. You left your bag, I think?" She nodded. "I'll bring that in, too." 

She nodded, and moved over to sit on the stairs. Then she heard some kind of noise from upstairs, sort of like a groan, and headed up to check on Tiger. 

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. "Are you okay?" she asked. 

He looked up. "Going to regret the hell out of this in the morning. You stayed?" 

"I said I would." She seated herself on the chair, the one Tiger's vest was hanging over. 

"Thought you did, but I couldn't tell if I was awake or not. Thanks, Rose." 

She'd always wished he'd call her by her real name, but she could live with a nickname, she thought. "Do you think you're awake now?" 

"Who knows?" He dropped his head back to his hands. "Room won't stop moving. Bunny left?" 

"Just to get some things from the car." As if on cue, she heard the door open below. "See?" 

"Rose, I just thought of something. Why'd you need my jacket? You have ice powers." 

"I have to activate them to not feel the cold, and usually people around me feel it, and you put the jacket on me before I could do anything anyway." And then she wasn't about to shake it off like she didn't need it. 

"Got it." She heard Barnaby climbing the stairs. "You tell Bunny about my wife? The promise?" 

"Of course not!" 

"Huh?" He looked up again. 

"I mean... that's private, right? It's not..." She glanced over at the stairs; her bookbag was there, but Barnaby had already retreated. 

"You should. Dunno if I'll be sober enough to tell him anytime soon. Drunk enough. Whatever. People say I should tell them things. Don't ever drink, Rose. Terrible idea." 

"If I promise to take that advice to heart, will you promise not to throw up on anything?" 

"Heh. Can't make any promises. What happened to Bunny?" And his head appeared above the line of the floor again. So he hadn't made tracks to avoid any secrets, but he'd left her bag in plain sight... that made him the world's worst eavesdropper. She was learning so much about her colleagues tonight. 

Barnaby was carrying a water glass and holding something in his other hand. As he transferred them to Kotetsu, he explained to her, "Aspirin and water. Preventive care for hangovers - something to remember if you decide on college." Okay, _maybe_ he hadn't been eavesdropping. On purpose, anyway. 

"Rosie's a good girl, she won't do any underage drinking," Tiger protested. She caught Barnaby rolling his eyes just after she did, and she giggled before she could decide if she should feel offended. And... Rosie? She wasn't sure she liked that. "Thanks, you two," he added. "Sorry to impose. I just get lonely sometimes." 

"I'd say it's about time you let someone in," Barnaby said under his breath. 

"I heard that." 

"No, you didn't." 

"I heard you say something," Tiger retorted, "and knowing you it was something snide." 

"Feel free to kick me out, old man," Barnaby said, settling himself on the floor at the foot of the bed and opening his book. "Are you going to be all right if either of us wants to sleep?" 

"Sure. I got a nice, comfy floor up here. Big enough for the both of you." 

"You see what I have to live with," he said to Karina, and she giggled. 

"It's just fun watching you two." 

"We aim to please," Tiger mumbled from the bed. "I should probably take my pants off." 

"I don't think I should watch that." Even if she kind of wanted to. 

"It's terrifying," Barnaby agreed. "I wouldn't advise it." 

"You're just jealous I have sexier legs than you do," Tiger said. 

"Don't laugh, it just encourages him," Barnaby told her, but it was too late. "She's suffering from sleep deprivation because of you," he added, to Tiger. "Listen to that." 

"No, that's because of Hero TV," she said, getting her giggles under control. "The sleep deprivation." The laughter was just... giddiness, maybe. Release of tension, because of the break from her routine. 

"It's after midnight. Maybe you should get some sleep, Blue Rose." 

On cue, she yawned. "You did that to me," she said. "I don't have any pajamas, and there's only the one couch. Maybe one and a half." 

"If you can get comfortable on the short leg of the sectional, I'll take the long, once our charge is down for the night." 

"Rosie can borrow some of my things. For sleeping. The clean ones." 

"Can I just ask everyone here to call me by name?" she said, abruptly, before she could lose her nerve. She couldn't exactly _not_ include Barnaby. He got up and began opening and closing drawers in Tiger's dresser, looking for something. 

"No I won't. Y'r Rose," Tiger protested. "But you can call me Kotatsu." 

"Um." 

"That's a piece of furniture," Barnaby explained, then turned back to her, offering a few folded pieces of clothing. "For you, Karina." 

* * *

Karina changed in Tiger's bathroom, texted her parents - her father responded right away, proving he was still up - and checked Tiger's fridge. It contained a six-pack of beer with one can missing, a single onion, two leathery slices of pizza on a paper plate, and a gallon of milk. So much for breakfast in the morning. Maybe she could coerce Barnaby into treating her to something. She took the books out of her bag so she could use it as a pillow. The reading lamp was still on up in Tiger's room, and she could hear the two men speaking now and then, quietly enough that she couldn't make out the words. It was more a soothing drone than anything, and she finally drifted off despite the unfamiliar surroundings. 

Around dawn, she drifted awake briefly. She was under a blanket now, and so was Barnaby, sleeping on the other section of the couch, his head toward the corner just as hers was. He must have been the one to cover her up, since Tiger didn't seem like he'd have been up to it. She got up on one elbow to look at him; he seemed younger somehow without his glasses, maybe just because he was asleep. She hated him a little bit for his eyelashes. Why did a guy with such light hair have such long, dark eyelashes? The blanket was sweet of him, though. He wasn't all bad, she decided, as she settled back down onto the couch, pulled the blanket up to her chin, and went back to sleep. 

She was a bit surprised to find him still asleep when she woke again, a few hours later. This time she pushed the blanket back and took her bag to the bathroom so she could get dressed. She debated with herself whether to wear the dress from last night, or her school uniform. Her very first walk of shame, after spending the night with two older men, no less, and she hadn't even gotten to first base. Though she doubted she'd be walking very far. Barnaby owed her a ride. 

She decided on the dress, brushed her hair, and settled for mouthwash since using Tiger's toothbrush would just be creepy. She couldn't look too much the worse for wear when she got home, because her parents would have expected her to have access to her company locker room or at least the truck. When she walked out of the bathroom, Barnaby was awake, peering into the fridge, and... not that it was surprising, but his back looked pretty nice. "Put a shirt on," she commanded. "There's nothing to eat in there." 

"I guess I was hoping it would have magically changed overnight," he said, moving to retrieve his shirt from the coffee table. Tiger's abs were better, she thought. 

"I guess there's always the pizza..." 

"I think it's fossilized. I don't want to risk teeth to find out." He claimed the bathroom, leaving her to poke around the various cabinets. Tiger had shelves upon shelves of books, binders, and boxes, enough that they'd claimed the kitchen shelving too. The cabinets mostly held pots and pans. He couldn't use them much, though - if he ever cooked surely some of these books would have gotten grease spots, or been splashed with something. She wondered if they were all left over from his marriage. She found a cannister of ground coffee in one of the cabinets, and behind it, a box of pop-tarts. Coated in dust. She showed them dubiously to Barnaby when he emerged, his hair looking irritatingly perfect. 

"How old do you think they are?" she asked. 

"Do they even have expiration dates? If you'll make coffee, I'll go get bagels." 

"Deal. Nothing with raisins, though." She hoped she wouldn't have to excavate the coffee machine. 

She didn't; she'd just overlooked it in the corner. She set it up, already dreading Barnaby's reaction. To her, coffee was just a way to keep herself awake, but he had his reputation for enjoying the finer things in life, and probably had exacting standards for his caffeine. Then again, that could be fake. Besides, what did she care what he thought of her coffee? It wasn't like making it was her job and she needed his approval. Once the smell started wafting through the house, she went to re-pack her book bag. "Rose?" Tiger called out from upstairs. "Bunny?" 

She'd expected him to sleep later than this. "I'm down here," she called back. He groaned tragically in response. She climbed the stairs, privately suspecting he was just being a drama queen. "Barnaby left to get food." 

"Always hopping off," he said. "I'm dying." 

"I'll let Agnes know," she said. "She'll want to record it." 

"Smart-mouthed kid," he grumbled, burying his head under his pillow. "Mfmm cfffm." 

"What?" _Kid,_ she thought sourly. 

"Coffee?" he asked piteously, emerging from the pillow. She heard the door open below. "Bunny, want to watch me die?" he called by way of greeting. 

"It's my fondest wish," he replied. "You sound pretty vigorous for someone at death's door." 

"You think so?" Karina asked as he climbed the stairs. "He's just been whining since he woke up. Nathan's right, men are just huge babies when they don't feel well." 

"I don't think it's men," Barnaby said. "I think it's just Kotetsu. Caffeine won't help, old man," he added. 

"Don't see why not..." 

She took the bag of bagels back down to the kitchen, leaving them to discuss hangovers. It was nearly eight; she could just have Barnaby drive her to the training center. That'd let her shower, get into costume, and she'd be ready for the rest of her day. Shorter workout than usual, but she could live with that. 

* * *

She had the training center to herself for a little while. Barnaby had some desk work to take care of, he said, and no one else was around. She wondered if the second league heroes had their own training center. She never saw them, but then, she was constantly busy. Maybe they just worked out in the afternoons or evenings. She claimed a treadmill, something that would give her some time to think. Sure, last night had hardly gotten her any closer to seducing Tiger - Kotetsu! she sort of had permission to use his name now! - but there _was_ the name thing, and the nickname thing. And just being able to casually spend time with him was a big step, really. Being able to get along with Barnaby couldn't hurt, either. Maybe it was a bit like having your in-laws approve of you. All the reasonable analysis of it, though, couldn't change the fact that she was just really happy today. Excited. 

He'd confided in her. That was something, even if he'd been miserable... even if that meant he was probably quietly miserable a lot. Was he just covering it up, all the time? No, the hangover whining was probably genuine. She wished she had more experience with this kind of thing. She'd been following Barnaby's lead half the night, joking around with Tiger, or being the audience while he did. Barnaby knew what it was like; she should probably trust that he knew what he was doing. On their drive to the training center, Barnaby had told her that Kotetsu owned the house, that he'd owned it for years - _I thought he put it on the market when he moved, but I suppose it didn't sell_ \- and that Kotetsu had shared the story about his wife's dying wish after Karina had gone to bed. Not having to tell him was something of a relief. 

Mostly, though, she remembered Kotetsu grabbing her hand and calling her Rose. 

She couldn't remember exactly what he'd been like during her first season. She hadn't been very impressed with him, she knew that. Mostly she remembered him joking around with Bison, and trying to give useless unsolicited advice because he was such a veteran. He'd seemed pretty glum the rest of the time, but she hadn't thought much of that - she'd just assumed it was because he and his friend were so low in the rankings. In retrospect, that probably did have something to do with it. But he'd started to seem happier once he was working with Barnaby, even though they spent so much time arguing, and even though his standing really didn't improve for several months. Of course he'd been lonely. 

Maybe she could at least help with that. No one could replace his wife, of course, and she could barely imagine what it must feel like. The only person Karina had known who'd died had been her grandfather, when she was ten. She knew how she'd felt when they'd thought Kotetsu was dead, during that terrible fight against Maverick, but he wasn't her husband. They'd never lived together, they hadn't known each other for years... but surely having a friend, more than one friend, couldn't hurt. Friendship could always develop into something else. 

"Why so thoughtful?" She squeaked, lost her footing, and hopped off the treadmill. 

"Nathan, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" 

"I'm surprised I didn't. I've been watching you for..." He tapped his phone. "...seven minutes now. You were all smiles when I got here." 

"Just... thinking..." 

"And I hear Barnaby dropped you off this morning." 

"How'd you know _that?_ " 

"Tracy thought it looked like his car." The receptionist. "So it _was_ him." 

"Nathan, you're evil." She grabbed her towel - that silly dinosaur towel - and wiped her face with it, then smirked at him. "I spent the night at Kotetsu's house, with him and Barnaby." 

"Ka _rin_ a! Tell me _everything!_ " 

"You know nothing happened," she said. 

"Well it had _better_ not, but I still want to how this came to pass." 

The story took longer than she'd expected, since she'd forgotten Nathan didn't know about her other job. She almost forgot to edit out the part about Kotetsu's breakdown, stumbling through "he got... upset," and she was sure he noticed, but he didn't say anything until she was done. Then he said, "First-name basis, huh?" 

"What?" 

"Kotetsu." 

She blushed. "He was still pretty drunk at the time. Maybe I should stop using it." 

"Aww, don't give up on your progress that easy, sweetie!" 

"I thought you wanted me to give up on him." 

"I thought you should give up on sleeping with him. Don't deny it, you know that was your ultimate goal." 

"Well, yeah, eventually. I just want to get to know him better... You know what it's like when you like a guy. It's not just like I have one goal and nothing else will do." 

"I know," he said. "But you can be pretty goal-oriented." He leaned back in his seat, stretching his legs out. "I just don't think Tiger's the kind of guy to sleep with a girl half his age, you know? At least not while half his age is still eighteen. You're too young to just obsess about the one you can't have. Look at all the time we spent talking about just one of your two boys." 

"One of... Barnaby's not my _anything._ " 

"Mm-hmm..." He was studying his nails. 

"I don't know why I _talk_ to you. I need to get back to my workout." 

"Oh, you know you love me." 


	3. Chapter 3

On Sunday morning, it was once again just the two of them in the training center, until Nathan called out "Karina honey, you have a gentleman caller!" 

" _What?_ " She took a breather on the elliptical, then hurried to towel her face off and run up to meet him. "Kotetsu!" 

"Oh, good, I did tell you to use my first name. Thought I did, but I couldn't remember." 

"You actually said Kotatsu, but I figured I'd go with the spirit and not the letter..." 

He snickered. "Sounds like the kind of thing I'd do. Can't stay, but I wanted to ask you - Bunny says you said your birthday was in a week?" She nodded. "Exactly a week, or... when?" 

"It's actually a week from today, but I try to celebrate on Thursday and Friday because on weekends, my plans always get screwed up." She'd grown to hate weekend birthdays and holidays over the last few years. So many crimes, so much room in the schedule for Special Hero Events. 

"Yeah, I figured you'd be busy. Just wondered if I could get you something, but you're so busy, I don't know when I could try that magazine trick like you taught me with Bunny." 

She was touched he even remembered it. That had been a long time ago. "You could buy me dinner," she suggested, and then she felt her face heat as she realized what she'd said. She'd just asked him on a _date_ in front of _Nathan._ "On the weekend, since you'd know why I might have to leave after the appetizer if I got a call. If you're free I mean." 

"Sure, that works. Around seven on Saturday?" He said it so casually, like she wasn't going to spend the next six days agonizing over the right clothes and shoes and makeup and oh God what had she done. 

"Sounds good!" she chirped. 

"I guess I'll pick you up here." He grinned, called out a greeting to Nathan, and left, waving at her. She sat on the butterfly machine with a thud. No need to look for Nathan. He would have heard. 

* * *

It was definitely the most eventful spring break she'd ever had. Without school, her hero schedule was packed, with photoshoots, recording sessions, and the filming of a video and three ads. In the evenings, she texted photos of her outfits: to Nathan, Pao-lin, Jane and Emily, though she hadn't been able to tell the latter two the full story. She had a few second thoughts about telling them at all; they were already wondering where she was going, and who she was going with, given the dressy outfits she was sending. Pao-lin just told her everything looked cute "and very girly," which wasn't really a surprise but also wasn't much help. Nathan, meanwhile, swooped in on one of her lunch breaks and took her shopping for shoes. "I'd loan you something, but I think we might have a teensy problem with the sizes." 

"Accessories might work," she teased. A pink feather boa to go with a little black dress. Actually, she kind of liked that idea. 

"You know my closet's wide open, sweetie." She rolled her eyes at him. "Well, it is." 

"Do you think my outfits are too formal?" Emily seemed really hung up on the formality part - "so are you going to some dance or something?" - and she was starting to worry she was overdoing it. 

"No. Your high school friends think so?" She nodded. "For a date with a boy your age, maybe so, but you know how Tiger always dresses. You're matching his style, and you'll be just fine for that restaurant in the Fortress Building. Don't overthink it." 

The shoes were her birthday gift, and a pretty breathtaking one. She had the means to shop in expensive boutiques like this, but her civilian friends didn't, and she wouldn't have had the nerve to go alone. She thanked Nathan effusively as he drove her back to the set. "Honey, it's nothing," he insisted. "You're worth every penny of it, and don't you forget it. Especially not on your date." 

"Does it really count if he doesn't know it's a date?" 

"Interesting philosophical dilemma," he said. "You could always resolve it by telling him." 

It had crossed her mind. It had also crossed her mind that maybe there was a reason he seemed to be the only hero who _didn't_ notice her crush on him. Maybe he knew about it and was pretending to be oblivious because otherwise it would be awkward. She'd done that with guys before. And if that was what was going on, then confronting him with "hey by the way this is a date hope you don't mind" would just screw everything up... then again, she'd never have agreed to go out to dinner with some guy she was desperately trying to friend-zone. 

"No I couldn't," was all she said. 

* * *

Saturday night. She'd brought everything to the training center, so she could change there. Nathan helped with her makeup while Pao-lin hovered around curiously. "So is it a date or not?" Pao-lin wanted to know. 

"Don't laugh," Nathan chided. "Or blink for any other reason. Hold still." 

"Okaaaaaay..." she grumbled, but she was a pro at sitting still while someone else made her up. "I don't know what to call it, Pao-lin." 

"I guess it's enough like a date, since it's two people going someplace together," she said. "He's just so old..." 

"Hey," she and Nathan protested simulataneously. "He's only a few years older than me," Nathan continued. 

"What, really?" Karina had been as derailed by this as Pao-lin. Nathan always seemed ageless. 

"You think anyone gets to where I am at twenty-five?" he countered. Karina would be surprised if many people got where he was at forty-five, honestly, and if he was younger than Kotetsu, he had to be in his thirties. 

"So how old are you?" Pao-lin asked. 

"You never ask a lady her age," he chided. "Karina, tilt your head back, sweetie. I'm going to set you up so your lipstick will last, but you better not put it to use." 

"I'm not allowed to eat?" 

He brandished lip pencil at her. "This is a _chaste_ date, understand? I'm helping because I know what young love is like, and I'm threatening because I'm closer to his age than yours." 

* * *

The results of Nathan's handiwork kind of startled her. Normally, if she did her makeup herself, she went pretty minimal, light color on her lips, maybe some mascara. Maybe foundation if she didn't like the look of her skin. When someone else did it, they were turning her into Blue Rose. But in the locker room mirror - of course Nathan was allowed in the women's locker room, because he'd refused to see any reason why he wouldn't be, and Pao-lin had supported him - she looked older, more mature, but still like herself and not the ice princess. Her eyes seemed larger and brighter, her lips were a darker rose shade than she'd normally use, and her hair... was the same as it ever was, because Nathan had said he knew his own strengths and weaknesses. She was wearing a blue halter dress - Nathan had also pointed out that if Tiger hadn't noticed by now that she had breasts, he was never going to - and the heels he'd helped her match to it. And she was trying really hard not to fidget. 

That wasn't helped when she saw Barnaby. No Kotetsu at his side, just Barnaby. He had his hand behind his back, looking kind of awkward. She waved at him, mystified and still wondering where Kotetsu was. When he came closer to her and produced the rose, she just blinked at it for a moment. "Happy birthday, Karina," he said. 

"Thank you," she said, automatically, accepting it. A rose. This was... was it romantic? Her eyes widened. "This is one of the actual blue roses, isn't it?" She'd gotten them once before - a bouquet when she was voted MVP - but she hadn't known they were available commercially yet. 

When she looked up at his face, he was smiling. "They're named 'Applause.' It seemed like an appropriate gift for a singer." 

She felt a smile break out on her own face. "That's either sweet and clever or really corny," she said. 

"I may spend too much time with Kotetsu to be able to tell the difference," he replied. "It's a pity it's not terribly blue..." 

"Maybe different lighting would help," she said. It was really kind of a lavender. 

"There's blue _in_ the color, I suppose," he agreed. 

"The name makes it very appropriate, anyway," she said, still smiling as she sniffed it. It just smelled like any other rose to her. 

"Hey, Bunny! Rose!" They both turned. Kotetsu was dressed like always - jacket, slacks, tie. He must own dozens of dark green shirts, she thought. "Ready to go?" he asked her, and she hoped the makeup helped hide the blush. She nodded. "I'd ask you to join us, Bunny, but the reservations are just for two people." 

Reservations? Then again, Nathan was a VIP in his civilian identity, too - when she ate there with him he was probably exploiting that a bit to get them in. Then her mind caught up with the rest of what he'd said, and she had to fight the urge to smack herself, or possibly him, in the face. "I have other plans," Barnaby said, then caught her eye. "Enjoy your evening," he added, with that broad public smile of his. 

"Thank you for the rose," she said, and then impulsively went up on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. It was a test of Nathan's lipstick secrets, that was all, and they passed, leaving no lip-print on his face. He looked more than slightly stunned as she turned to follow Kotetsu, who was already heading for the door. He held it open for her, and as she stepped through, she looked back at Barnaby again. He hadn't moved, and was holding a hand to his face. 

Outside, Kotetsu started chuckling. "Well done, Rose." 

"Huh?" 

"I just wish I could have stayed to see when his mind came back online." He opened the car door for her, and she slid in. 

"I think he was just surprised..." she said, starting to get embarrassed now. 

"Well, sure, he was surprised. But it's not _just_ surprise when a pretty girl kisses you." 

_Pretty._ Karina beamed at her hands, unable to do more than sneak glances at him, but he seemed to be watching the road. "I don't think it's like that..." 

"He got you roses! That's romantic, right?" 

"It's not like it was a dozen red roses... I mean, it was a reference to my name." 

"But also a guy giving flowers to a girl." He looked over at her, grinning. Him and that stupid grin that made her melt and that stupid cluelessness that made her want to stomp on things. "I know, he's a bit old for you, but he's not like some dirty old man." _Barnaby_ was a bit old for her. The heel of her palm desperately missed her forehead, right now. "I'm pretty sure he's never had a serious girlfriend - I mean, back when I first met him, who'd put up with that attitude? And I'm pretty sure I'd know if he'd met anybody since." Because clearly, a rich, good-looking celebrity in his twenties would only have sex with a girl he was serious about. Why would Kotetsu think that? Because that was how he thought? That was endearing, and explained a lot - such as why he'd been so lonely - but she had a hard time extending that to Barnaby. Kotetsu continued, "Judging by the fans we hear from if we go anyplace together, a lot of girls your age like him." Oh God he was trying to play matchmaker. 

"That's, um..." Maybe Lunatic could attack them, she thought. That would be fun. More fun than this. Why couldn't they go back to the part where he'd said she was pretty? She'd liked that part of the conversation. "I don't..." 

"Sorry. Making you uncomfortable?" 

YES. "Kind of." She was totally okay with just being friends with Kotetsu, she reminded herself. She just wanted to be his friend. He was lonely and he needed friends, even if he needed to get plastered to admit it, and even if he was so astonishingly dense she wondered how he'd ever managed to get married. What had his wife _done,_ tied him up and gagged him while she explained to him in very small words that she liked him? That was actually the kind of thing Blue Rose would do. Maybe she should try that. Possibly in costume. 

"Sorry about that. Forget I said anything." That would be easier if she had any idea what had sparked this. Just the rose? Maybe he just misread everyone unless they were actually in the middle of a crime. "So, um... I hear your new single's doing well!" 

"You do?" It was, but Blue Rose wasn't really his kind of music. He seemed to like her own better. 

"Kaede's a big fan," he said, grinning. It was impossible to stay angry at him, no matter how much she might want to. 

* * *

Dinner itself was enjoyable, despite the rough start. He'd been happy enough to tell her what Kaede was up to, at great length, and then when he stopped to visit the Mr. Legend statue in the building's foyer, she asked what the big deal was. He told her about Mr. Legend's illustrious career for the entirety of the elevator ride, mentioning as they entered the restaurant "I met him once." 

"You did?" 

"Yeah. Kind of a long story..." 

"I'd like to hear it, though." 

"You would?" The grin that broke out over his face could have lit up the room. How was it possible that Barnaby was the popular one? "Awesome. Once we have our drinks." 

The Legend story was classic Kotetsu - all outflung arms and sound effects - and the idea of a ten-year-old Kotetsu was so adorable she could hardly stand it. She'd have to really admire that statue a lot when they went back down, she decided. Maybe get him to produce any photos he might have from the experience, news clippings or something. She was sure he'd saved any if he had them. 

"I wish I had something like that," she said. 

"Really? No childhood inspiration or anything?" 

"Not really. Definitely not for being a hero. That was all my mom's idea. I think she always wished she was a NEXT, so she could be a hero." 

"Huh. She must not have paid much attention to the news," he said. "Your mom's probably... I dunno, maybe a few years older than me? It wasn't a great time to be a NEXT." 

"Oh." She'd heard about it, of course, but the idea of people hating NEXTs was pretty foreign, confined to madmen like Rotwang and mentions in history class. "I guess it's hard to think of it that way for me." 

"Well, yeah. You're a star because of your powers," he said. "And things were a lot better by the time you were young." She nodded. "Still, kind of a shame," he said. "It's good to have somebody like that you can look up to. Wasn't there anything that helped change your mind about quitting, a couple of years back?" 

"That was you," she said softly. 

"Me?" He'd heard her. She gulped her ice water, trying to hide her face. "Seriously?" She lowered the glass, nodding a little. He smiled; not one of his huge grins, this time, something smaller and almost sad. "Thanks, Rose," he said quietly. 

"It's..." She fidgeted with the napkin in her lap. "I think you have that effect on people. Look at Barnaby." Or maybe she didn't want to bring him up. 

"Hard to miss that," he said. "Hey, that means I'm an inspiration for a king and queen of heroes. I must be pretty cool, huh?" 

She couldn't help smiling. "Maybe sometimes." 

* * *

They swapped stories of their hero exploits - the blooper reels, basically, that never made it on the air - and talked about music. He'd taken to loaning her thumb drives of his music collection over the winter, and she was broadening her tastes considerably as a result. She loved seeing how happy it made him when she found something she liked, and she was glad to have more things in common with him. 

When the meal was over, they took the elevator down to the lobby and she looked at the Mr. Legend statue long enough that he moved over that way, and she followed. "He lost his powers too, in the end," Kotetsu said, very quietly. She stared; that hadn't been what she'd expected to hear. "Ben told me," he added. She couldn't remember who Ben was - someone at Apollon, she thought. "He was the king at the time, so they staged the show to make up for his power decline." 

"Wow," she said. His hero got a show tailored to make him look good, while he got demoted to the second league. Then she started to wonder how that would be staged. "Like, fake crimes?" 

"Editing, I think. Other heroes cornering the crooks so he could make the arrest or the rescues." 

Fixing the rankings. That'd mean actual loss of income for the other heroes who were being forced to come in behind him. Injuries, maybe. It'd be frustrating, maybe humiliating, and you'd have the prime of your own career ticking away while you propped up his. "That's awful!" she exclaimed, loud enough to draw a few curious looks. He nodded somberly, resettling his hat on his head, and turned to go. She followed, uncertain. He'd seemed so happy, talking to her about Mr. Legend at dinner; how had he felt when he found out his hero had been corrupt? 

Outside the building, he spoke again. "He apparently had a drinking problem, by the end. He must have felt guilty about it." 

"Yeah," she said, uncertain. "He wasn't always a fake." 

"No," he agreed. "He was the best there'd ever been until Bunny came along." 

"Did that bother you?" she asked. "Barnaby breaking his record?" 

"Of course not! It's amazing working with someone as good as he is," he said. They'd reached the car, and he fumbled with his keys. He opened her door first, then leaned against it, not closing it. "He's so good I can't stand seeing him stuck in the Second League. He doesn't belong there, you know? It's like watching a pro athlete trying to dial it down to play catch with little kids." 

She only paid attention to the second league for Kotetsu. "It was his decision, though, wasn't it? He wanted to work with you." 

"Yeah, I guess." He shut her door, rounded the car to get in on his side. "But it's a waste. It'd be one thing if he was washed-up like me..." 

"You're not washed-up!" 

"Rose," he said. "I've got one minute. It's nothing if you need it to last." 

She fell silent, for a moment. "Why did you tell me that, about Legend?" she asked finally. "There can't be many people that know that." 

"Not many," he admitted. "I dunno. Bunny says I need to tell people things. I guess... Legend's how I could have ended up, if I'd been in a different spot when it happened, handled it differently. He was human too, and he screwed up, but he also saved a lot of people. I don't know if that makes sense." 

"Some," she said. 

He started the car. "Bunny's been getting me to talk about it more. I guess once you tell one person it's easier to tell the next." 

So she wasn't the first person he'd told. Of course it had come up with his partner. Look at how much time they spent together, and obviously it wasn't all while they were on the job. "He doesn't mind you calling him that anymore?" 

He chuckled, put his hand on the back of her seat and started backing up. "He stopped complaining about it a long time ago. He answers to it. Good enough for me, you know?" He shifted gears, saying as he maneuvered through the garage, "I hope I didn't bother you too much, talking about Bunny earlier." 

"Huh?" 

"It's just that he's pretty close to your age, and you know, heroes spend a lot of time together..." 

Oh, he meant _that._ Nathan was going to _love_ this. "I just don't, um... I mean. What makes you think... that?" How she could blush so easily in regular life and yet deliver Blue Rose's lines without problems was a mystery. 

"...maybe I shouldn't have said anything..." he said. "Um... sort of... things he's said? Dunno if he would have wanted me to bring it up, but.... " 

"What?" Maybe he wasn't actually delusional. Which was insane. Barnaby? Asking Kotetsu about her? At least one person had lost his mind here. Maybe she had too. But Kotetsu was doing that mumbling thing he did. "What things?" 

"Maybe I should shut up before I make things worse," Kotetsu said. "How's everything going with your college applications?" She felt a bit like screaming. She drew a deep breath, and before she could speak, he added, "I know you must want to kill me, but it'd be betraying his trust..." In the flash of a streetlight, he looked so earnest she felt like she could melt all over again. 

"I understand," she said. She hated it, but she understood. "I... pretty much decided to go to college." 

"Probably best," he said. "See if you like it - better than skipping it and regretting it." 

They chatted for the rest of the drive, but she was distracted, wondering what Barnaby could possibly have been saying to Kotetsu to spark the matchmaking efforts. It wasn't until they stopped in front of her house that her wandering thoughts were called back to earth, when he smiled at her and said "Happy birthday, Rose." 

"Thank you," she said, smiling at him, unable to stop smiling at him even if she'd wanted to. 

"Not to sound creepy or anything, but you looked beautiful tonight," he added, and though they said other things - "good night," and "thank you," and something along the lines of "see you tomorrow," that was what she was hearing when she let herself into the house and ran up to her room, beaming, not wanting to explain her mood to her parents. 


	4. Chapter 4

The lingering glow of an evening with Kotetsu - just Kotetsu, no partners or criminals or anyone else - kept her happy for days, enough to distract her from the mysteriousness about Barnaby, and her newest single reaching number one nationally was enough to explain it all to her parents. She couldn't have imagined a better birthday. Well, she could have, and it would still have involved Kotetsu, and the kind of imagining that made her glad she was old enough to buy sex toys now (not quite brave enough, but old enough) but in the realms of plausibility, things couldn't have gotten much better. 

Over the next few days, though, as Karina recounted the story of the semi-date to Pao-lin and Nathan and a very edited version to Emily and Jane, the details about Barnaby that she wasn't discussing with them continued to nag at her. They'd talked that one night, at Kotetsu's home, and in the car the next morning. They'd been friendly enough, certainly more than they'd ever been before, but she didn't think she'd said or done anything that would have sparked any sudden interest on his part. Not that these things always made sense, or she wouldn't be so hopeless about Kotetsu. 

Then again, she'd been viewing Barnaby more fondly since; not to the extent of a crush or anything, but it was definitely noticeable. Maybe the experience had more of an effect on him? Or maybe Kotetsu just wanted to think there was something between the two of them - he'd been making occasional remarks like that for ages, like that time when she'd had to sub in for Barnaby and Kotetsu had thought she was worried about him. Either way, the blue rose, which had stayed in a half-full bottle of water in Kotetsu's car during their semi-date, resided in a vase on her desk, keeping her from ever quite forgetting. 

Then, on Friday, as she finished a song, she looked out over the bar, doing the usual scan of the crowd for Kotetsu, and her eyes instead landed on a familiar red-and-white leather jacket. She still had a few songs left in the first set, but she decided to take her break early. She'd make up the difference later. She must have looked formidable, because Barnaby's smile definitely faltered as she got closer to him. "I... hope you don't mind," he said uncertainly, as she climbed onto the bar stool. Formidability would be easier if only she were taller, she thought. 

"Why would I mind?" she asked. She had no idea what she actually wanted to say to him. Should she bring up Kotetsu's weird behavior? 

"I know you'd much rather see him," he said. 

"He didn't send you or anything, did he?" For more matchmaking. 

"Of course not!" 

She shrugged. "He's not here every week. I was just surprised to see you here." 

"I'm sure if I mention where I was there'll be no living with him, but I did want to hear your own music for once." 

"Really?" She considered him, propping her chin on her hand. "It's not too un-classical for you?" 

"I don't know anything about other types of music, but that doesn't mean I hate them all," he said. "And I much prefer your solo music to your alter-ego's sound." 

She was pretty sure she couldn't hide how nice it was to hear that - not that she wanted to impress Barnaby or anything, but getting _him_ to admit to liking her music was something of a triumph. "Yeah, well... you, me, and maybe a dozen other people," she said. "Still, thank you." 

"And Kotetsu," he added. She smiled, but she wasn't entirely sure Kotetsu came because he liked her music. She knew he did enjoy it, but she was beginning to suspect coming to her performances was a way of being less lonely without taking any risks, just like telling the younger heroes how to be heroes had been, or nagging Barnaby to eat right. 

She picked up her glass, then set it back down. "So if there'd be no living with Kotetsu... he pulled the matchmaking thing with you too?" 

Barnaby winced. "It's probably my fault." 

"Oh my God! What did you say to him?" She'd just concluded the secret had been mostly or entirely in Kotetsu's mind. 

_He_ was blushing. His ears were turning pink. How... bunny-like. Not the rest of him, though. No wonder he wore his hair like that. "I... that is... maybe we could talk about this later?" 

"There is no way in hell. You need to give me at least the gist of it now! My break's nearly over!" 

Barnaby stared at his glass of water, clearly wishing it was something stronger. "I may have expressed some degree of romantic interest in you." 

She was silent for a second, processing that. Then, "Gosh. I bet you say that to all the girls." And he was too busy being embarrassed to notice she was blushing too, she congratulated herself. "'We'll talk later, if you don't flee the minute I get up there," she said, and took off before he could look at her again. 

* * *

Barnaby's ridiculously unromantic admission might have distracted her from her first few songs, but she was able to get back on an even keel before long, and when she did so, and checked the bar, he was still there. With a glass of wine, this time, and looking a bit hunched-over and depressed, but he stayed. Romantic interest in her, huh? So maybe Nathan was right. And also wrong, because for a while he'd been maintaining that Barnaby was just as gone over Kotetsu as she was herself, but that was Nathan for you. "Romantic interest." Maybe Kotetsu was right, too, and he really was kind of a shy, nerdy virgin after all, rather than the supermodel-conquering teen idol everyone thought he was. Which was kind of sweet, really. 

And he _was_ good-looking. Not as much as Kotetsu - or at least, he didn't have those amazing smiles, and those amazing shoulders, and those abs - but he was handsome, and his own shoulders weren't half-bad, and his smile wasn't bad either, even if he was a little more stingy with it. That did kind of mean she'd earned it when he smiled at her, which he'd done more in the past week or so than in the entire rest of the time she'd known him. 

Maybe she should have suspected something from the start. 

He was still there when she left the stage for the night. He was back to drinking water, and he managed a kind of nervous smile as she approached. "So, romantic interest, huh?" she asked, once Steve was safely at the other end of the bar. 

"Not that it was a very romantic way to say it," he admitted. 

"Not terribly." 

"I... could really use some help with this conversation." 

"So where did this come from?" she asked. "Because this is quite a shift from 'I heard about your CD' on the air." 

"What ever happened with that radio show?" he asked. 

"Switched to a podcast because I kept refusing to tell the callers to lick my boots," she said. "Answer the question." 

"Sometimes it's difficult to believe you had problems with that," he retorted. "How am I supposed to answer a question like that? Why did you fall for Kotetsu?" 

"Excuse me," she protested. "I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Perhaps we could talk in the car, if I gave you a ride home," he suggested. "I only had one drink. I should be more than capable of driving." She nodded, because even if he'd gone all pompous, and even if she had to have an awkward conversation about Kotetsu, she wanted to get some answers out of him. 

* * *

They got into his car in silence. Karina hugged the bookbag on her lap, unsure whether to be anxious about whatever explanation was forthcoming, or incensed that he'd brought up her feelings for Kotetsu. Sure, _everyone_ knew, but bringing it up that way was just rude, and Barnaby had honestly never really done that. Certainly not that bluntly. 

He started the car. He drove out of the parking lot. As he headed toward the freeway, the silence swiftly became awkward. When he finally spoke, on the on-ramp, he said "I have no idea what I'm doing here." 

"What?" Surely he didn't mean driving. 

"I only remember having one crush in my entire life prior to meeting Kotetsu. I don't remember ever dating, or kissing anyone, or even strongly wanting to. I never slept with anyone, to the best of my knowledge." 

She opened her mouth to speak, planning to scoff at that, and then his phrasing hit her. After a second, she remembered to close her mouth. 

"I have no idea if that's what my life was really like," he said. "But that's what I have to work with. Nothing." 

"That's..." She'd never really given much thought to Barnaby except as a rival, an antagonist. She hadn't considered that whole incident the winter before last as part of a long pattern in Barnaby's life. "Maverick?" 

"Possibly. I don't know. I don't know if I was too focused on revenge to have time for anyone in my life, or if he just made me think that I was after the fact." Or what had happened to anyone Barnaby might have forgotten about, she thought. This was a murderer he was talking about, after all. She shook her head to dislodge the image. 

"That's _disgusting,_ " she said. "He was-- how could-- that's _evil._ " 

"It took me four months in therapy to face what I just told you," he said. "That my memories weren't reliable. When I told Kotetsu, he had the much same reaction you did. A bit more obscene, maybe. I haven't told anyone else." 

"You haven't?" 

"I was supposed to tell my friends," he said. "But I don't really have many." So that meant she was one of them, she realized, touched. "It's basically... Kotetsu. And you, if..." 

"If I pass a probation period?" 

"I was going to say 'if you don't mind.'" 

"Sorry," she mumbled, looking at her hands. 

"You passed any probationary period I would have imposed by worrying about Kotetsu," he said. 

"That's... geez, that's setting the bar low. I mean, you knew how I..." She trailed off, still unwilling to say the words out loud. 

"I knew how you felt about Kotetsu because I felt the same way about him." 

"You... what?" Oh, this was just unfair. Nathan had been right about two things at the same time that should have been contradictory. It must be a secondary NEXT power or something. Wait... past tense? How could anyone just _get over_ Kotetsu? 

"When we first started to get closer, I realized I was developing feelings for him. I assumed he was straight, so I just did my best to ignore them. Over time, it's... become much easier to live with." That wasn't actually saying he was over it, she noted. 

"Huh." 

"And then when we spent that night taking care of him and actually being civil to each other, I realized the same thing was happening with you." 

"...what was? You mean, like, getting interested in me?" 

He nodded. "It's entirely possible I'll just always do this when I form friendships." _Or that you only befriend people if you also want to get in their pants,_ she thought, but he beat her to it with "Or that I only seek out friendships with people I'm attracted to." 

"And Kotetsu took the idea and ran with it." She sighed. She _had_ been kind of gratified by the whole idea, if also weirded out. "Figures." 

"If you're disappointed..." he said, with a teasing tone in his voice, and she glanced at him to see that insufferable smirk on his face. 

"You were just _born_ annoying, weren't you?" she retorted. "We should at least exchange phone numbers, so you don't have to hang out in bars to talk to me." 

"Sleazy dives with underage performers," he agreed. 

"Hey!" 

"You're a performer, and you're underage." 

"I'm not a _stripper,_ which is how you were making it sound," she said. "Costume notwithstanding. Besides, I'm 18 _now._ " 

He grinned. They were nearing her house, so she pulled his phone off the dashboard. His wallpaper... was a photo of Kotetsu, with a goofy grin, fingers making a V near his face, and one arm extended. Jeez. She couldn't have dated Barnaby, if only because Kotetsu would probably consider his partner's ex off-limits, and all it took was looking at that man... "He took this himself?" 

"Never leave him alone with your phone," Barnaby said. "He can't help himself." 

She giggled. Then she found his camera function; his phone was noticeably fancier than hers. "Don't worry, not replacing your wallpaper," she said, and snapped the photo. She looked a little washed out in it, she thought, but her eyes were open and not glowing and her smile looked okay. Not too bad for a nighttime shot on a camera phone. She entered her number quickly and returned the phone to the dashboard. "I don't know how to look up yours," she said. 

"I'll enter it in a moment," he said, as he turned onto her street. She kept getting dropped off at home by hot older men she met in bars, and no one even knew. She passed him her phone, and watched him as he entered the number. He really did have nice eyes. He passed the phone back to her, their fingers brushing, and she thought for a moment about kissing him goodbye the way she should have done a week ago with Kotetsu, just because his reaction when she'd kissed him on the cheek had been so memorable, but instead she just thanked him for the ride and climbed out of the car. 

She'd been trying not to tell anyone much about what she was beginning to think of as "the Barnaby situation." It was one thing to dissect every interaction with Kotetsu, scheme, and analyze progress; Kotetsu might be more lonely than she'd realized, but she didn't really think of him as vulnerable. On the other hand, ever since Kotetsu had started telling her that Barnaby wasn't too experienced for her - which was more or less what she'd taken from it, even if it wasn't what he'd meant - she'd felt like it would be wrong to tell anyone much of that. 

But Nathan was kind of in a special category. It wasn't that she didn't trust Pao-lin, but Nathan understood _everything_ about people, like some kind of glittery pink Sherlock Holmes with a focus on relationships, and he didn't gossip when it was important. Of course, the downside of that was that he usually seemed to guess the stuff she was trying not to tell him, but that still didn't mean she'd actually betrayed anyone's confidence, so she could live with that. 

As she wound down her story, Nathan stepped off the treadmill and sighed. "Honey, I could have told you all of this ages ago." 

"You could?" She was a bit out of breath by that point. "All of it?" 

"Handsome's bi. He's partial to you and Tiger, and way too inexperienced to do anything about it." She hadn't actually mentioned the inexperienced part. He toweled his face off. "Unfortunately, the obvious solution is a threesome, or it would be if it were three other people." 

She'd done a little embarrassed searching on that topic the night before, before the embarrassment overcame the curiosity. "That'd be a lot of deflowering all at once," she said, jumping off the treadmill herself. Of course, that was assuming Kotetsu had never been with a man. "Very efficient." 

He laughed. "You make me so proud sometimes." He took a drink from his water bottle, then continued, "If you ask me, what Tiger needs is some friends. He'd probably be happy to see you two together. You know he likes to meddle." 

"Well, yeah..." 

"And I take it you didn't grab Handsome and have your way with him." 

And she'd been regretting it all night, honestly. "I don't think I would have gotten as far as having my way with him," she said. 

"You could have laid the groundwork!" 

"Why are _you_ so determined to hook me up with Barnaby?" 

"Sweetie. _Look_ at him. Someone needs to tap that. It's a crime not to." 

Those were the words echoing in her head when she called Barnaby that evening. "Yes?" he said when he answered. Straight to video - but he had her number, now, so that made sense. 

"Are you busy?" she asked. "I'm just on call, and I'm bored." 

"Same here," he said. "Kotetsu and I have a standing movie night for these situations. Care to join us?" 

It was only after they'd finished the call that she realized this might have been incredibly awkward, and that she had no idea why it hadn't been. He hadn't been upset by her deflection the night before, apparently, but... another case for Nathan, it seemed. 

* * *

"So I'm just curious about one thing," she said, standing in Kotetsu's kitchen, enjoying the view as Kotetsu, bent over, rummaged through his fridge. "Why _here,_ on nights you're on call? If Barnaby's still living on Gold, that'd be more centrally located." 

"I'll let him explain," Barnaby called from the couch. 

"See, Bunny doesn't believe in furniture," Kotetsu said. "Sorry, Rose, I'm all out of Pepsi." 

"Don't worry," she said with feeling. "I have Pepsi coming out my ears. You'd think it prevents osteoporosis the way my mother serves it up. Just some water or tea would be fine." 

"Or beer," Barnaby suggested. "Kotetsu's idea of beer is a good way to put you off alcohol for life. A good preventive measure before college." 

"Like I'll have time to binge-drink." 

"Hey," Kotetsu protested. "I like it. My beer, I mean, not binge-drinking. Though sometimes..." 

"I keep trying to explain to him about micro-breweries, but he doesn't believe in them," Barnaby said. 

"But how do you not believe in furniture?" Karina asked. "You question the existence of that sofa you're on? You never could get that 'atoms are mostly empty space' thing out of your head?" 

"I've just never gotten around to purchasing a couch." 

Kotesu dumped microwaved popcorn into a bowl and passed it to her, so she carried it into the living room. "I was hoping for something kind of philosophical," she said. "Or religious." 

"Sorry to disappoint." She was pretty sure she'd only ever seen him use _that_ smile on Kotetsu. Nathan might get his wish after all if Barnaby kept this up. She plopped down on the couch, quite a bit closer to him than she would have a week ago, though she was kind of surprised to see there were still several inches of space between them. She _felt_ like she as on the verge of snuggling up next to him. 

"It's pretty much a trade-off," Kotetsu said. "Bunny's got this huge TV, takes up a full wall, but someone has to sit on the floor. I have furniture but my TV's a tenth of the size. When you opted in, that was the deciding vote, because obviously the lady gets the only chair." 

"Why don't we just buy Barnaby a couch?" she suggested. "I'm pretty sure I could afford it." 

"He's picky," Kotetsu said. "Believe me, I've tried." He had a bottle of wine in one hand, with the stems of two glasses between his fingers, and a glass of water for her in the other. "Scoot over," he added, and then plunked down between them when Barnaby moved. _OMG TOUCHING TIGER,_ her leg informed the rest of her. She pictured it sending text messages. He leaned forward to open the wine bottle. _OMG STILL TOUCHING TIGER. OMG SHOULDER TOUCHING HIM NOW TOO. OKAY FALSE ALARM. WHEN HE LEANS BACK THOUGH!_ Her blood felt fizzy and overheated, and she was intensely aware of her left leg and arm. Kotetsu and Barnaby were needling each other about screwcap wines and snobbery, and pouring their glasses full, as she tried to rein in her stupid hormones. She couldn't just climb on him with Barnaby sitting right there, especially given what he'd told her last night. It'd be rude, unless it led to that threesome Nathan had suggested, which seemed unlikely. 

"See, it's _fine,_ " Kotetsu said, as Barnaby finally took a sip and failed to grimace. 

"Yes, it is," he replied, resignedly. "Let's start the movie." 

* * *

The movie was black-and-white, something Kotetsu insisted was a classic. It turned out to be a comedy, and not half-bad, absorbing enough that Karina completely forgot about the PDA on her wrist until the credits were rolling. She'd kicked off her boots, pulled her feet up underneath her, and snuggled up against Kotetsu's side, and the fact she'd more or less started to take _that_ for granted by the end was another testament to the movie. 

"Quiet night," Kotetsu said, and stretched. She sat up, stretching out her cramped legs and really kind of surprised, both at her own daring and the fact Kotetsu had done nothing to move her for the past... not quite two hours. 

"Crime's less conveniently scheduled now," Barnaby said. With Maverick out of the picture, she thought. No one said his name, though. 

"Time for take-out before the next movie?" Kotetsu suggested. 

"Time for delivery," Barnaby replied. "Since you manage to cheat at rock-paper-scissors." 

"Bunnyyyy, you know there's only pizza and terrible Chinese that will deliver free here. The good Chinese place is take-out only, and so is the kebab place, and I don't want to pay the delivery fee for Indian tonight..." 

"We could have pizza," Barnaby countered. "Karina, what sounds good to you?" 

"Well... how bad is the terrible Chinese place?" 

"Terrible," they answered in unison. 

"Then... good Chinese." She'd turned down an offer to share Pao-lin's lunch, which had been a mistake because it had smelled amazing and the lunch meeting she'd had to attend had offered her salad instead. Barnaby groaned. "It's impossible to cheat at rock-paper-scissors, right?" 

"He finds a way." 

"Bunny's just predictable," Kotetsu retorted. "Come on, let's do this." 

"Is there a menu?" Karina asked, since the guys seemed fully prepared to get into a macho standoff. 

"By the fridge," they both said, not quite in unison this time. 

They went from a single match, to two out of three, to three out of five, while Karina glanced over the menu. Kotetsu hailed his final victory with arms flung in the air, which seemed a little excessive if that was how it went every time but was still adorable, and Barnaby, grumbling, collected their orders, pulled on his jacket, and left the house. Meaning Karina was alone with Kotetsu. He flopped back onto the couch, arms spread out on the back, almost like he had an arm around her. She had to snag this chance, she thought, and her heart immediately started thundering. 

"So how's it going, Rose? Having fun?" 

"Yeah," she said softly. She pulled her feet back onto the couch again, because that way she could get some height. "Thanks for having me over." 

"Bunny thought of it," Kotetsu said. "Glad he did. More the merrier, right?" 

_Three's a crowd,_ she thought, but that was unfair to Barnaby. "Kotetsu?" 

"Yeah?" He looked down at her, and she got up on her knees and touched his face. She could feel the edges of his close-cropped patches of beard under her thumb, the light coating of stubble on the rest of his face, and she could see his raised eyebrows even though most of her attention was on his lips. And she saw him close his eyes, so she kissed him, softly, and then she realized he was kissing her _back_. She wasn't about to stop now. When his lips parted under hers, her tongue slid against his, and dammit, she shouldn't have pushed, because now he was pulling away. 

"Rose," he said, and he sounded kind of breathless, to her delight. 

"At least now you _know,_ " she said, kind of out of breath herself. 

"That's... Rose, I'm really old." 

"You are _not,_ " she said fiercely. "You're barely any older than Nathan. He told me. You're what, like thirty-five? Thirty-six?" He nodded weakly. "How old were you when you met your wife, Kotetsu?" 

He closed his eyes, and she immediately wondered if that was the wrong thing to say, but when he opened them, he just looked serious, not sad. She hoped that wasn't just an act. "She was the same age I was," he said. "That's the difference. You should be with someone closer to your age, someone you can have all those experiences with - first marriage, first child, first everything." 

"So, what, divorced people can only remarry each other? That's not fair to anybody." 

"That's not what I meant!" He ran his hands through his hair. 

"You were kissing me back," she said softly. "You were acting like you wanted me." 

"Rose, you don't need me to tell you what you look like," he said. "That's not what this is about." 

"So it's just that I'm too young and immature?" And her voice was going higher-pitched, just to get rid of any doubts. 

"It's not that," he said. "I'm twice your age! I have a daughter not much younger than you. There's less difference between her age and yours than yours and Bunny's." He rubbed his forehead. "If she was twenty, and she wanted to put the moves on some forty-year-old, I'd hope like hell he'd turn her down too." 

"But why?" she protested. "I'm an adult. I've been playing Blue Rose for years. If you were old enough to fall in love with your wife by my age, why can't I be old enough to fall in love with you?" 

"Rose..." he began, looking sad, and of course that was when her PDA went off. Just hers. "First League only, then," he said. 

"Of all the times..." She pulled her boots back on, trying to ignore the sting of tears in her eyes. "See you around, then," she said, standing, not looking at him until he grabbed her wrist. 

"Listen," he said. "Can we talk about this later? Tomorrow?" 

"I guess," she said. "So you can tell me more about how I'm too young?" 

"That's not--" He stopped. "Just take care, all right?" 

She nodded, grabbed her purse and headed out the door, moving to enter her response on the PDA. She'd meet up with her transport, but she needed to walk for a while first. 

* * *

The criminal had been a cat burglar, spotted as he was ascending to some penthouse on Gold; she'd arrived just as he was making his way down the building. She flung icicles at him like a knife-thrower, making a rough circle around him, then delivered that stupid catch phrase and created a hand gripping him around the midsection, anchored to the wall. Luckily it was a humid night. Mario said it was some kind of speed record for her, like that mattered. She brushed off Nathan, refused to answer her phone when Barnaby called, or when Kotetsu did, and curled up in bed to be miserable. 

And to relive that kiss, because it was like her hands and lips refused to forget. He'd been kissing her back. He hadn't minded that. Was it just her age? That was so _stupid._ Only the fact that Blue Rose's age was a secret had saved her from one of those creepy "how long 'til she's 18" countdowns online, like she'd seen for a couple of young actresses. Like their fans were just waiting to pounce, and she was sure hers would have been if they'd ever known she was underage. Which, okay, _was_ creepy, but how was it creepy in reverse? It wasn't like he'd made the first move. She'd been chasing him for two years now, and just when she thought she was finally catching up... 

She finally drifted off to sleep, and woke feeling a degree less misery. He'd tried to call her last night. Trying not to get her hopes up, she checked her messages. 

Barnaby's was first. _"Hello, um... Karina, is everything all right? I know you left on call, but now that the episode's over I thought I'd check. Kotetsu won't tell me why,_ of course, _but he seems upset."_ So much for her hopeful mood. Was Barnaby going to hate her if she told him? And for that matter, how had he managed to be so calm when he told her how he felt about both of them, in the car? Maybe she hadn't outright rejected him, but she hadn't responded like he might have hoped, and yet he hadn't gotten half as upset as she was now. 

And Kotetsu's message. _"Hey Rose... looks like you did really good tonight. I, um... I don't know what to say. Glad you're okay. Talk to you tomorrow."_ He sounded as depressed as she felt. 

She headed straight for the training center. She needed to punch something. A lot. 

She didn't even get that far, though. Kotetsu was waiting just inside, still in his street clothes. No one else was around. When he saw her, his face lit up with a smile that immediately collapsed. 

"Morning," she said dully. She started to walk past him to the locker rooms, expecting him to stop her, but when he didn't, she turned to face him. "So why do you look so upset?" she demanded. 

His expression went from unhappy to kicked-puppy, and if she hadn't been so unhappy herself she probably would have felt worse at the sight. "Because you're my friend, and I don't want you to feel bad, and... you do because of me." 

"And?" She didn't care that she was being mean to him right now. 

"It's... like... I never thought of you that way before. Even with your outfit - I always thought it was pretty scummy of Titan to put an outfit like that on someone your age. And then you kissed me, and part of me is thinking ' _hell_ yes,' and another part is thinking 'holy shit, she's just a kid, what's wrong with you.'" 

"I like the hell yes part better," she said, trying to smile, and he grinned a little, uncertainly. 

"You... surprised me," he said. 

"Are you maybe more used to the idea now?" 

He winced, and she looked down. "Rose, you're young. You deserve somebody that hasn't already met and married the love of his life," he said softly. "I just want to go back to how we were." 

She was _not_ going to cry. "But I don't! I love you, and--" 

"We can't even spend time together as friends?" 

She was not going to look at him, and she was not going to cry. "Not yet. I don't know. I just can't." 

A long silence. She heard a door slide open, new footsteps... Nathan's heels. She hated today _so much._ "Well... you know how to get hold of me if you change your mind later," Kotetsu said. "I'm sorry." She heard his footsteps, slow, leaving the room. The door slid open and shut. Her hands were clenched at her sides. 

"Karina?" Nathan asked gently, and _that_ was when she burst into tears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got fanart (oh my God I am still squeeing over this): [Barnaby and Karina at the bar](http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/005/9/6/only_the_lonely_by_dev_chieftain-d4lg63v.jpg), [the trio at Kotetsu's place](http://piapb.tumblr.com/post/16417521201/tb-commission-for-dev), and [scenes from that evening](http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/007/8/7/more_fanart_for_only_the_lonely_by_dev_chieftain-d4lkccz.jpg).


	5. Chapter 5

Jane and Emily wanted to know why she was moping at school on Monday, so she told them that the guy she'd gone on that date with had rejected her, and then she had to explain he was the guy she'd liked since sophomore year, at which point she started to get weepy and they ushered her to the women's room, where she elaborated that they'd only just had the one date, though they'd been spending more time together, and then she blew her nose on a wad of toilet paper and Emily hugged her. "We'll take you shopping," Emily said, and Jane kind of rolled her eyes - not the biggest fan of shopping - but Emily meant well, so Karina agreed. Not for that night, though. Of course.

That evening, in her transport to a recording session, she finally returned Barnaby's call. "I'm assuming you told him how you felt or something along those lines," he said. He sounded very... cold. Businesslike. He probably hated her now.

"What makes you think that?" she countered. She could out-cold him any day. It was her _job._

"When I came back with the food, he was on his third beer. Not enough to get him drunk, but enough for him to use it as an excuse. He told me I should ask you on a date, because if he were twenty years younger he would." She bit her lip, wishing she could just grab Kotetsu and shake him. Among other things, that would make him two years _younger_ than her, and if she wanted to date a sixteen-year-old she would have done it by now. "It's not that I have any grounds for jealousy," he continued. "It's not as though I'm in a relationship with either of you."

"Well you try and kiss him! Maybe you'll have better luck! He told me I was too young, but you're older!"

The line was silent for a long time. "Karina, what you found out was that he'd act on his attraction to you if you were older. Eventually, you'll be older. I don't see how this is bad news."

"He said he wanted to go back to how we were."

"Didn't you, after I told you how I felt about you?"

Her turn to go silent. "I didn't know you were even upset about that."

"I've always tried to control my emotional reactions. It hasn't always worked when I was angry, but it's reflex at this point."

"I'm sorry," she said, very quietly. He didn't respond, so after a moment she continued, "I didn't know what to say right then." The transport slowed. "We're slowing down, we may have reached the location, so I might need to go." She continued, in a rush, "I was sort of starting to think that way about you, too, but I didn't really know how to say it, and it was easier to change the subject, but I _did_ give you my phone number and isn't that how you pick people up in, like, bars?"

"I wouldn't know," Barnaby said. "Really? That was what you meant by that?"

Another turn. Just exiting the freeway, then. "Kinda? I mean, I wanted to be able to talk to you more. And I thought about kissing you right then."

"You should have followed through," he said. "It might have saved all three of us some frustration."

"Yeah, probably." She sighed. "I didn't do it to make you hate me or anything."

"I never thought you did." He cleared his throat. "You should join us this coming weekend."

"What, for movie night? Barnaby, I couldn't-- I don't want to see him right now."

"It's not going to get less awkward if you wait," he said. "And we both have some news we want to share with you."

"News? What does that mean?" The transport was braking. "Bunny you have to tell me!"

"Oh don't _you_ start using that."

"You're going to make me wait a week?"

"Yes," he said, and she could _hear_ him smirking. "Especially after you played the nickname card."

"I hate you," she told him affectionately. "So much. But we just got where we were going."

"Call me back when you're done," he suggested.

* * *

She did. This time she put him on video, and they talked for her entire ride home. He asked about her costuming process, so she told him about the nails, the extensions, the contacts, and he described the process of getting into his undersuit as "climbing into a sausage casing," although the armor part was automated. The contacts and the wig led to identities - "I am so glad I have a secret identity," she said, "the fans during meet-and-greets get creepy enough." Barnaby didn't seem to understand creepy fans, but then, if he actually liked breasts his example of women wanting autographs on them probably wasn't terribly creepy to him. She had to point out, "Barnaby, my fans are male. At least, most of the creepy ones are." She did get women who seemed just as enthusiastic about being dominated, but they were less aggressive about it. "I just couldn't take that everywhere I go. Do they bother you at restaurants and things?"

"I don't consider it a bother, really. It's part of the job."

"So what you're saying is they do."

They talked about restaurants, and Barnaby admitted that Kotetsu had made a point of introducing him to Japanese restaurants all over Stern Bild. "That was part of why I assumed fried rice was his favorite food. He kept trying to cook it for me, and he took me to this ramen restaurant with amazing fried rice..."

"Ramen restaurant? I thought ramen was like kibble for starving college students."

"Bachelor chow," he agreed with a chuckle. "No, the kind served in restaurants is very tasty. And their fried rice was amazing. But it turns out fried rice is just the only thing Kotetsu knows how to cook."

"He can't manage mac and cheese? Spaghetti with sauce from a jar?" Instant ramen?

"Those count as cooking?"

"Smartass," she grumbled. To _her_ they did. She was planning to use them as evidence to her parents that she should get an apartment and not a dorm room. She mentioned that, and he looked doubtful. "What?" she asked.

"You might get lonely," he said. "I live alone, but I have years of practice."

"I was also thinking of asking Pao- asking Dragon Kid to room with me. She's sixteen, and she's been taking additional classes so she can graduate early." She envied Pao-lin, who had a very solid plan - she was going to establish her own martial arts school when she retired from being a hero. It didn't depend on popularity, or sales, or browbeating her company into promoting her recordings.

"Probably a better plan than living in a dorm," he said. "And figuring out how to explain to a civilian roommate why you're running off at all hours to meet a Titan Industries transport."

"Oh, good point! I'll have to remember that for convincing my parents."

They drifted back around to talking about food - she was getting pretty hungry, since the recording session had taken longer than expected - and he suggested they meet at a restaurant, rather than anyone's house, on Saturday night. "Though it wouldn't be movie night, I suppose. But Kotetsu loves showing off Japanese food."

"Maybe we can go for sushi. Or does it have to be something new to me?" She thought back to her first experience having dim sum with Pao-lin. "Will there be chicken cartilage? Or cubes of pig's blood?"

"Not in my experience. Why?"

"I know Japanese food's different from Chinese food, but Dragon Kid has pretty much guaranteed I'll never put something into my mouth just because I'm told it's delicious. She's got an evil side to her."

He laughed out loud. "I don't think Kotetsu uses food as a form of hazing, if that helps."

"Okay, then." The transport rolled to a stop. "I think I'm home now. Let me know where we're eating."

"All right. And... maybe I could buy you dinner sometime this week?"

She smiled at the screen. "Yeah," she said. "That'd be good."

* * *

A free afternoon on Wednesday meant she and Jane and Emily went to a department store, and then a bookstore, and then Emily whispered, "You know, there's a sex shop upstairs, and we're all over eighteen now," so that was how Karina ended up giggling with her friends at dildo names and edible underwear on an afternoon she'd expected would mostly involve browsing for purses.

"That one's camouflage print!" Emily reported delightedly, just as Karina spotted the flaming-red dildo, adorned with gold and orange flames.

"Oh my God!" she yelped, somewhat above a hiss, and her friends shushed her. She pointed, and Emily burst into giggles. There was a whole shelf of hero-themed sex toys - oh thank God none for Blue Rose. At least not here. Which was actually kind of surprising, because Blue Rose's fans would totally expect her to wear a strap-on. Probably beg her to.

"Those can't be licensed," Jane said, drawing closer to the shelf.

"Would that be, like, copyright infringement? Libel?" Karina could barely bring herself to look at them. At least there were no actual pictures of heroes on them.

"I dunno, they seem pretty large. So probably not libel," Emily whispered. Yeah, they were pretty... majestic. Jane pulled one off the shelf, and Karina looked around guiltily. They'd been asked for ID by three different employees - shockingly, no one thought three giggling schoolgirls were regulars, or very far over eighteen - but no one was around right now.

"A fiery experience," Jane monotoned, quoting the blurb on the box and sending Emily off again. "I don't see anything that actually names Fire Emblem on it, though."

"I have to take a picture of this," Karina decided. "This guy I work with is a huge Hero fan..."

"You should take pictures of all of them then!" Emily said. Karina snapped the photo, and Jane replaced that one on the shelf. Karina's face felt practically sunburned as she took the snapshots, but that had been the case for half the time in the shop, so that wasn't suspicious, right? The Wild Tiger box had a blurb about making you roar while the item itself had green tiger stripes, Sky High's had something about the Mile High Club on it, and... Barnaby's didn't have its name, but it had a bunny emblem and something about fucking like rabbits. None of this was probably going to come as a surprise to Nathan, she thought, but still!

It was nearly four, her phone informed her, and Emily had work that evening, so they started making their way out. Jane hung back, though, and when Karina turned to ask her if something was wrong, Jane whispered, "Sure you don't want to buy one?"

"What? No! Why?"

"Maybe a gift for your co-worker? Karina... I know exactly what your singing voice sounds like."

Oh. "....that was still a very strange segue," she managed.

"Let's talk on the train," Jane whispered, and Karina nodded.

Emily's stop was before either of theirs, so that was easy enough. Karina moved over to the same pole Jane was holding onto. The train wasn't totally full of commuters yet, and they all wanted the seats, so by standing they got more privacy. "So what tipped you off?" she asked, as the train started moving again.

Jane pulled out her phone, fiddled with it for a moment, then handed it to Karina. Onscreen was a photo - taken at her birthday dinner with them, she thought, and edited to turn her hair and lips blue. "Not a very good Photoshop, but you get the idea," Jane said, taking it back. "I'd already noticed your voice, and how you always seemed to know the lyrics to Blue Rose songs. Messing around with colorizing you pretty much confirmed it, and when you got all weird over the Hero sex toys, I figured it couldn't hurt to ask."

"Jaaaane..." she hissed, blushing again and looking at the ground. "I knew I should have gone for a mask."

Jane shrugged. "It's like... about a year ago, when they had a manhunt for that guy with a Wild Tiger beard who dressed exactly like Wild Tiger? So we all pretty much know that's who he is. But the fans aren't going around digging up a lot of info on his civilian identity, and the media isn't even touching it..."

"Yeah, I remember that," Karina said. "Vividly."

"Right," Jane said, laughing a little. "Guess I forgot. So I always kind of wondered - what happened with the Heroes then?"

"We were brainwashed," Karina said. "Our memories were altered. It's kind of hard to describe - I remembered someone who looked a lot like Tiger, but I couldn't remember his face. It was always hidden by something, even if it was just his hat. And so when I met the real Tiger, I just _knew_ he was lying. He did talk me out of it at the end, and nearly did before that, but... it was a really, really weird feeling."

Jane studied her for a moment. Karina looked out the window, watching the city speed past. "He's the one you've been in love with all this time, isn't he?"

Karina nodded. "He's a lot older than I am... I mean, he wasn't exactly my age when he started, and he's been a hero, like, twelve years, I think?"

"So he's the one who's klutzy and sloppy and makes bad jokes. What's Sky High like?"

Heh. Jane was a fan. "He's a really sweet guy. Kind of goofy sometimes... head in the clouds, you know? Ugh, I'm catching bad puns from Ko-- Tiger. But he's really nice. Total boy scout, too." Karina giggled. "He was the proof those things weren't licensed. He would never, ever have his name on adult merchandise. I don't know if he even drinks."

"What's he look like behind the mask?"

"He's... nice-looking." She hadn't really thought about him that way. "Blond. Blue eyes. I'd need his permission to show you any photos."

"That's okay," Jane said. "What about Barnaby? What's he like? I mean, if you're close to Wild Tiger you must know him, right?"

"I couldn't _stand_ him at first. He had a terrible attitude until he and Tiger started to get closer. He has a tendency to tease just to get a reaction, but he's lightened up a lot. He used to be really serious. He actually smiles now, laughs sometimes... he's actually pretty funny, once he stops being all polite and distant." She caught herself smiling. "He's really detail-oriented. Precise. Which can mean he's picky, but he's also really good at the job. He wasn't kidding about that classical music thing, but now he says it's because he's never had much exposure to other kinds. Probably because he only started believing in fun about two years ago." She noticed Jane was kind of staring at her. "That's... about it."

"I'm trying to decide if you've gotten more honest with yourself or not," Jane said.

"Yes, I know I like him too," she said. "If that's what you meant."

Jane just smiled.

* * *

That evening, after she'd sent Pao-lin a photo of the Origami Cyclone knock-off sex toy (it had a reference to Mt. Fuji on it) she got a call from her. "That actually _exists?_ "

"Yep!"

"And you didn't buy me one?"

Karina cackled, flopping back on the bed and holding the phone above her. "You're too young." Pao-lin said something grumpy-sounding in Chinese. "Besides, it's not like it's a huge age difference. And I'm pretty sure he likes you." If he's actually into girls.

"Well, yeah, as a friend..." Pao-lin sighed. "So I did try out the idea for us to room together on Natasha. She's okay with it. I did agree to go for an associate's degree, so it's no different than if I was in a dorm. She still wants my parents' approval, though."

"What do you think you'll go for?" Pao-lin's plan had just involved working as a hero until she retired, and _then_ she'd take whatever classes she needed to learn how to run her school.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll just see which classes interest me."

"I still haven't brought it up with my parents, but since I sent off all my letters today, the time is right. Tomorrow at dinner. Thanks for checking with Natasha first." So she could tell them she'd have a roommate. A Hero roommate, so she wouldn't risk blowing her cover. Jane, unfortunately, was going out of state for college. Emily wasn't, but she was moving out of Stern Bild.

"No problem. You seem less like you need me to hold the punching bag for you than you did over the weekend."

"Yeah, I'm feeling better," she said evasively. "Maybe just giggly over the Hero Penises. Penis imposters."

"Wait, plural?"

"Ohhh, have you got a surprise waiting for you at the training center tomorrow."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of this after all."

"Just pictures, don't worry."

Thursday afternoon, once she and Barnaby had established they didn't have a shared, free weeknight for the next two weeks, she cheered herself by showing Pao-lin the illicit merchandise. They'd started looking at them in the gym, but when Sky High greeted them and asked what was so funny, they fled to the locker room. "I can't even look at him!" Pao-lin exclaimed, giggling.

"Well it's not like it's modeled off... his... MOVING ON."

When Nathan came in, he smiled indulgently at their giggling and examined the photos. "Ah, that's the cheap line," he said. "There are better ones out there."

"Ohmygawd, Nathan, we weren't going to _buy_ them!"

"No?" He arched an eyebrow. "Well, if you're ever in the market for one, Hero-themed or otherwise, I can help."

The giddiness had done her good, she decided, and so had the sparring session with Pao-lin afterwards. The tension and unhappiness she'd been feeling over Kotetsu, and over seeing him again, were both eased, and so was her anxiety over discussing her housing plan with her parents that evening.

She had a rare dinner with them that night; she was working from home, sorting through photo proofs and recording some promotional audio messages. "Hello, stranger," her father greeted her when she came downstairs for dinner. He was setting the table, the chore that used to be hers.

"Hi, Daddy," she said. "I hope I get to see you guys more over this summer." She hoped they hadn't been banking on her living with them through college. She loved them, but she wanted the independence, too, and she knew Pao-lin wanted her own space.

"That's the idea," her mother said, bringing the serving platter to the table. "So you sent off your acceptance and rejection letters, I know, but you forgot to mention which was which."

"I did?" She sat in her chair. "I accepted Athena University." Approving hums from both of them. "And I've been thinking it would be better for me to have an apartment close to campus, rather than living in housing."

Her father looked dubious as she laid out her case. Her mother sipped Pepsi and just listened, inscrutable. "So that's the idea," she said. "You guys have met Dragon Kid, so you know what she's like. She's a bit younger than me, but she's responsible and very focused."

"She's a nice girl," her mother agreed.

"You'd need to manage your own finances," her father pointed out. "Not your investments, necessarily, but keep on top of your spending, pay your bills on time..."

"I know, Daddy. This is where I'll learn. That's something I wouldn't learn in a dorm, right?" Information from one of the campus tours. "You make your payment for tuition and housing, and everything else is taken care of through that. No monthly utilities or anything."

Her father nodded. "Then I approve. Christina?"

"You'll visit?"

"Mom! Of course I will!"

"Not just for laundry," her mother said, grinning. "I think it's a good plan, Karina. It sounds like you've given it a lot of thought."


	6. Chapter 6

One obstacle down. Graduation was in a month, her usual gig was the next day, and the fabled news Barnaby wasn't sharing was the evening after that. She tried to think of it that way, rather than as seeing Kotetsu again. 

They picked her up at the site of her recording session Saturday evening, in Kotetsu's car. She slid into the backseat, seeing why they'd selected this one; Barnaby's car was really meant for two. "Is ramen all right, Karina?" Barnaby asked, once she'd shut the door. 

"We need to introduce you to the real stuff so you don't fall prey to instant ramen in college," Kotetsu added. She smiled, like nothing had happened, and it seemed to work until her eyes met Kotetsu's in the rearview mirror. 

"That's fine," she said. Barnaby glanced at her, and she told herself that wasn't actually concern in his expression. It probably was when he looked at Kotetsu. 

"How much longer do you have left in school, Karina?" he finally asked, which was enough to keep a conversation alive; she had very little motivation left for her remaining schoolwork or her AP tests, Kotetsu fondly reminisced about how much he'd blown off school in the last semester or so, and Barnaby, of course, had completed high school with rigid discipline and superb grades. 

"Where'd you go to college, Barnaby?" she asked, then, and since he was still half-turned to face her, she saw his gaze flicker, his expression flatten. She heard Kotetsu's mumbled "aw jeez," before he reached to cover Barnaby's hand with his own. "Sorry," she whispered. 

"The odd part is that I remember taking university classes," he said. "I just don't remember the institution, or my degree." He gave a hollow, ugly laugh. "Another trip to my records, I suppose." 

"Why would he even _do_ that? What possible purpose would that serve?" Karina's fists were clenched in her lap. No one needed to ask who 'he' was. 

Kotetsu squeezed Barnaby's hand, returned his own to the steering wheel. "It might not even have been on purpose. We've found these once or twice before - things he's lost that we just can't trace to an obvious memory wipe." 

"That's horrible," she said. "I'm sorry, I was just trying to make conversation--" 

Kotetsu turned into a small, packed parking lot. "Not your fault, Rose. And it's not the first time it's happened." 

"And it's obvious I did spend at least some time at a university," Barnaby added, as Kotetsu maneuvered through the lot. "The timeline matches up - I graduated from boarding school at not quite eighteen, university at not quite twenty-two, then the two years of Hero Academy. The background checks were completed over the summer and I debuted at the close of the summer season." He ran his hands through his hair. "It could be a memory wipe, if a clumsy one. Maybe I wanted to go into some other field on finishing my degree. Maybe I met someone, or discovered something, that he needed to wipe out." Kotetsu had finally found a parking space, but once the car had stopped, Barnaby turned in his seat to face her. "Don't feel guilty about this. It's never pleasant, but it's happened before, and this is an easy gap to fill with reference to my records and a bit of investigation." 

She nodded, managed a small smile. "Okay!" Kotetsu said. "Let's go eat! We're supposed to be celebrating, after all!" 

She looked doubtfully at Barnaby, but he was looking at Kotetsu and smiling. Just the way they did things, she guessed. And, well... miserable as that experience had been, it seemed to have made them all forget to be awkward. "So it's good news?" she asked innocently. All Barnaby had said was 'news,' not that she'd really expected him to keep terrible news from her over nickname use. 

"No comment," Barnaby replied. 

* * *

The restaurant itself was small and crowded, but Karina watched in fascination as Kotetsu conversed in Japanese with a waiter. "What did you say to him?" she asked, as they stepped outside to wait. 

"Uh, just asked him how long it might be," he said. 

"Only about half the waitstaff here speaks Japanese," Barnaby added. "Sometimes he forgets which language to use when he orders. It's fun to watch." 

"It's embarassing is what it is," Kotetsu said. "So, you want to tell her, or should I?" 

"I think we should wait until we're seated," Barnaby said, with a smirk. "Or possibly until we receive our orders." 

"I hate you," she reminded him, poking him in the side. 

"You're just cruel, Bunny," Kotetsu said, then he turned to Karina, doffed his hat and held it over his chest like he was singing the national anthem. "Rose, we are proud to inform you that we have been approved to rejoin the First League." 

"What? Really? That's great!" 

"My power duration's stayed stable all season," he said. "And Saitou's been working on new gadgets for my suit this whole time." 

"So when the summer season begins in May, we'll be back in the running," Barnaby added. 

She beamed at them both, her own duel with Sky High forgotten. He was ahead of her by all of ten points as of the last ranking. "Is it a secret? Can I tell anyone?" 

"Better not," Kotetsu said. "I haven't even told Antonio." 

"Agnes is planning to stage our entrance in the season closer, so it can be announced at the ceremony," Barnaby said. Just like his debut had been. "But we both wanted you to know." 

"So if Bunny steals an arrest off you, it's nothing personal," Kotetsu added, elbowing Barnaby. 

She couldn't stop smiling at either of them. "Got it," she said happily. 

"You aren't cold or anything, are you?" Barnaby asked her. 

"Huh? Surely you know better than that." 

"This hat, though," he said, snagging hers off her head. She reached for it, and he held it up out of her reach. "It's so much like a stocking cap." 

"It's just part of the outfit-- Oh, right, like you're going to put anything on that hair of yours," she scoffed, hands on hips, as he made to do just that. 

"Excuse me?" came a voice from behind her, and she and Kotetsu both turned to see a pair of young women, one holding a notebook, the other rummaging in her purse. They fell back so Barnaby, with Karina's hat tucked under his arm, could sign the autographs, after the second woman finally produced a packet of Kleenex. Karina listened to Barnaby reassuring her as he attempted to sign a tissue, eventually using her friend's notebook as a writing surface, and then posed for pictures. He really was good with the fans. "And your friend, is he...?" one of them asked, and Barnaby responded, "No, but he gets that all the time." 

"Do they actually buy that?" Karina asked quietly, attempting to tug her hat out of Barnaby's grip. 

"It seems unlikely, once they've recognized me." He held on. "Kotetsu never wants to just admit to it, though." 

"Secret identities are tradition," Kotetsu said. "I could put on my mask..." 

"Kotetsu, you know that never fools anyone. Especially when you put it on in plain sight. Besides, we're regulars here." 

Karina reached up to steal Kotetsu's hat. He grinned at her as she settled it on her head. "Looks a lot cuter on you than it does on me," he said. She blushed, Barnaby sighed, and the waiter called Kotetsu's name. 

Once they were seated in a booth - her on one side, the two men on the other - she reached across the table to put his hat back on his head, and as he re-settled it, Barnaby returned her own to her. She shoved it into her purse as she looked at the menu, which was... extremely short. "They have one thing they do here, and they do it well," Kotetsu explained. "Or, no, like five things. Their gyoza's really good, and their fried rice..." He seemed to be lost in a reverie, and Karina decided to be grateful to his cluelessness for once; he'd apparently never noticed that moment with the hat. 

"Only one type of ramen to choose from," Barnaby explained. "You can have it spicy, or not. You can add more meat, or not. And you need to guard your egg with your life or this old man will steal it." 

"It's not theft," Kotetsu retorted. "I'm making sure it goes to a good home." 

* * *

When the food arrived, Karina asked Kotetsu what everything was. "Well, there you have your noodles, and that's an egg," he said, gesturing with his chopsticks. "Oh yeah, and that's pork." 

Barnaby rolled his eyes, then added, "Bamboo shoots, green onions, and some kind of mushroom," pointing at the items. 

"So Rose," Kotetsu said, then slurped up some noodles. "Agnes mention the single?" 

"What?" 

"Apparently there's some discussion of recording another single," Barnaby said. "I have no idea how firm the plans are." 

"No one mentioned the last one to me until it was all decided," she said. "I think trying to make this part of my singing career was a mistake." 

"No way," Kotetsu said. "You're doing great!" 

"In what way?" Barnaby asked. 

"Titan's bound to replace me when I get too old," she said. "Which probably means 'a day over twenty-five.' Or if I end up with any scars, let alone any damage to my face. I'm basically a supermodel with some bonus features. They own the Blue Rose name, so I'd need to start over with nothing more than the contacts I've made. I know that's more than most singers have, but it'd still be frustrating to lose all the progress I've made." 

"You'd still have rights to your existing recordings, surely," Barnaby said. 

"To the royalties, yeah. Not to make any additional Blue Rose recordings." 

"What if you started recording under your own name now?" Barnaby asked. "Why wait for Titan to pull the plug?" 

"My voice might be recognized," she said. "It's an idea, though." 

"Your food's gonna get cold," Kotetsu said, reaching for Barnaby's egg; Barnaby parried his chopsticks. Karina picked up her own, pulling a few noodles from the soup thoughtfully and blew on them. Maintaining two recording careers might be impossible, but when she'd first started Kotetsu hadn't thought she could manage high school and being a hero; it had been part of why he'd so annoyed her at first. He was always telling her to focus on her studies and be a hero when she was older. 

As if he'd read her mind, he said suddenly, "Hey, you want any of us to come to your graduation?" 

"What? Why would you want to?" 

"Rose," he said, as if this was painfully obvious. "You're _graduating._ You're graduating normal high school despite being a hero. That's a pretty big accomplishment!" 

"Like I was ever going to not graduate?" He didn't take the cue. "My parents would have killed me. Not graduating was never an option." 

"So? You still only do this once." 

"It is a major milestone," Barnaby agreed. 

"It requires sitting around for hours as like five hundred names are called. _I'd_ skip it if I could." Kotetsu looked a little sad, though, so she said "But if you really want to, of course you're invited..." 

"Great!" 

"We'll need to keep a low profile," Barnaby reminded him. 

His dismissive "yeah, yeah," didn't exactly seem to reassure Barnaby, but keeping Kotetsu in line would be Barnaby's problem, not hers. 

* * *

As they left, Kotetsu tossed his keyring to Barnaby. "I'm gonna sack out in the back seat," he said. 

"Kotetsu, it's _your car,_ " she said. 

"I've been getting up at five every morning this week for suit tests," Kotetsu said. "I'm an old man. That kind of thing's rough on me." Barnaby had already unlocked the car, so she let it go. 

Once they were on a freeway, she heard a snore from Kotetsu. "I guess he wasn't kidding," she said, her voice low. 

"No, it's true," Barnaby said. "The idea is to have him in his upgraded armor in time for the re-introduction stunt. And Dr. Saitou's a bit of a perfectionist. Why Kotetsu can't just get to bed earlier I couldn't tell you, though." 

She nodded absently. Her mind was elsewhere, and Barnaby seemed willing to leave her to her thoughts. But they kept circling back to one topic, and finally she said, "Barnaby, I'm really sorry about earlier." 

He didn't need to ask what she meant. "There's nothing to apologize for," he said. "It was a perfectly innocent question." 

"I can still be sorry you felt bad." 

"Oh," he said. "Er, thank you." 

"Is it..." Maybe she shouldn't ask. 

"Kotetsu gets upset if I speculate that it could be a symptom of anything," Barnaby said. "My short-term memory is unaffected. If I do lose old memories, I suppose all I can do is hope that the ones I'm losing were false to begin with." He shrugged. "It's possible that I haven't really lost any memories that hadn't already been wiped - that I just never noticed before that I didn't remember which university I attended." 

"What were some of the other lost memories?" 

"I don't remember learning to drive. Anything about it. I don't know if I took lessons, or if Mr. Maverick taught me, or someone else. That was likely the one on Kotetsu's mind. I don't remember ever voting. I don't honestly remember selecting my apartment, though I do remember decorating it." 

"Those don't seem like things that would be wiped." 

"Collateral damage?" he said. "I couldn't say. I don't see much cause for concern unless I start losing memories of Kotetsu himself." He lifted his eyes to the rearview mirror, and she glanced over her shoulder. Kotetsu had one arm flung over his face and his mouth was hanging open. 

"Not the sexiest he's ever looked," she said quietly, and she was rewarded with a stifled chuckle from Barnaby. 

"Not exactly, no," he agreed. "Are you sure you don't mind guests at your graduation?" 

"It's not whether I mind or not," she said. "I'll barely have a chance to talk to either of you. It's more... One of my friends figured out I'm Blue Rose, but no one else knows, including my grandparents or my cousins, so explaining how I know you could get awkward. But it seems to be important to him." 

"If possible, we'll sit in the back and slip out unseen," he said. "But I can't guarantee he won't want to congratulate you." 

"And then people would recognize you. Maybe you could wear... different glasses?" she suggested. He looked at her with horror. "What?" 

"These are the only glasses I've found that I like," he said. "All other frames give me a headache. I keep five pairs in my current prescription at all times. I cannot possibly wear different glasses." 

Karina made a mental note to ask Jane how exactly glasses frames could cause headaches, and considered other possibilities. "...a hat?" she finally suggested. He sighed, sounding distinctly long-suffering. " _I'm_ not the one who decided to be a hero under my real identity," Karina pointed out. 

"I'll try to come up with something," he said. "Are you inviting any of the other heroes?" 

"I hadn't planned on it... I'm serious, I went to last year's ceremony and it was really boring. I've never been so happy to get a hero call in the middle of something in my life." She glanced at her wrist, half-expecting the words to summon up Agnes's signal, but it stayed silent. Then she noticed Barnaby taking the Bronze ramp. "Kotetsu's house first?" 

"It's only seven-thirty," he said. "Plenty of time for a movie, or if Kotetsu just wants to sleep, you and I could go... somewhere." 

The tips of his ears had gone pink again. She wondered if he even knew he did that. "I'd like that," she said, smiling at him. 

* * *

They had to shake Kotetsu awake to get him into the house, and he proceeded to flop bonelessly onto the couch with his eyes closed once indoors. "Maybe some coffee?" she suggested. 

"Just wanna sleep," Kotetsu whined. 

Barnaby bent over Kotetsu. "Karina and I are going out for a little while, okay?" 

"Kay. Have fun," Kotetsu said, then placed his hat over his face. 

"I feel a little bad leaving him, but that was pretty decisive," Karina said, once they'd stepped outside. 

"Exactly. Maybe when we get back..." Barnaby locked the door. "The cafe's not far." 

"It's a nice night. Let's just walk." She waited until they'd been walking for a bit to brush her hand against his, and then to take hold of it. It took a moment for them to get their fingers sorted out, but when they were laced together, she looked up at him to find him looking at her and smiling. 

"No objections, I hope," she said, ruining the effect with her own smile. He shook his head. 

"Though I'll be in serious trouble if anyone figures out you're still in high school," he said. 

"For two more weeks!" 

"True." He didn't let go of her hand. "Are we... would you say we're in a relationship?" 

"We could be." Her heart was pounding again like when she'd kissed Kotetsu. "I mean, I'd... like to be." 

"Kotetsu and I are friends," Barnaby said. "I wouldn't... act on anything else." 

She saw what he was trying to say, or get her to say. "I, um, I've been thinking he's probably right about age differences," she said. "And you've actually managed to make it so I don't think about Kotetsu all the time. So, I mean... I think I've been thinking about you more." _You're not coming in second,_ she wanted to say, but she didn't want to offend him by assuming that he was worried about that. He squeezed her hand. 

"I thought about saying 'just friends,' but he's still my partner, and..." 

"That's not 'just' anything." 

"Exactly." They rounded a corner, from the residential street to a more brightly-lit one lined with stores and restaurants. "Do you think it will cause us problems, competing next season?" 

"I'm not sure," she said. "I don't hate Sky High, so probably not. Then again, who could, right?" 

"Good," he said, almost drowned out by the tone of their PDAs. 

" _Now?_ " she protested. "We're like ten feet from our coffee!" But they were both, dutifully, answering the call. 

"Bonjour, Heroes," Agnes greeted them, the effect oddly doubled. 

"Something for the First and Second Leagues simultaneously?" Barnaby asked. 

"How-- are you two together?" she asked, one brow lifted, and Karina winced inwardly. "Interesting," she purred. "Yes, actually. You'll all need to report to the two rendezvous points..." 

Karina half-listened to the explanation - the criminals were a group of NEXTs, traveling with hostages from a jewelry store they'd robbed - as she wondered exactly what "interesting" was going to mean once Agnes had a chance to brainstorm. She looked up to their director, but partly because she wanted to be, like Agnes, in charge of things; she was tired of having someone else call the shots. "The transports have already been dispatched to your current location," Agnes said. "So don't go too far." She ended the call. 

"I was going to go wake Kotetsu, but I suppose he already heard," Barnaby said. 

"I'll go order coffee for all three of us," Karina said. She was not going to let some jewel thieves rob her of her caramel mocha latte. "And you can call him." 

He nodded, pulling out his personal phone, as she headed into the cafe. She sulked as she waited for her order. She'd had plans for this evening, sort of. The extent of the plans had really been _delicious coffee_ and _at some point, I will kiss Barnaby_ but the second part had pretty much been defeated by timing, and she resented that. But at least there was no sign of their transports as she headed back outside with the drinks in a little cardboard tray. Barnaby rushed to open the door for her, then tried to take the tray once she was through. She extracted her own drink and let him. 

"Kotetsu's headed here," Barnaby said. She nodded, sending a pulse of cold through her coffee to get it to the right temperature. 

"Best thing about my powers," she said, brandishing her coffee to illustrate what she meant, and earning a chuckle from him. 

"I never thought of using them on drinks." 

"I got it from Nathan, though his goes the other way, of course." She looked around. No transports. No Kotetsu. No romantic moment or anything either, but if she waited for one of those, who knew how long it would be? She put her free hand on his shoulder, got up on tiptoes, and brushed her lips over his. 

"Just a moment," he said, setting the coffee tray down at his feet, then straightening and resettling his glasses on his nose. When he lowered his head to kiss her, she put her free arm around his neck, glad the coffee cup came with a lid. His kisses were soft, almost tentative. When his lips parted, she was the one who deepened the kiss, his tongue curling around hers, and she tangled her fingers in his hair as his arms tightened around her waist. He had stubble, she could feel it as they kissed - strange since he always seemed so flawless, almost airbrushed - and he was holding her close enough that she could tell exactly what kind of effect this was having on him. When she broke the kiss, she brushed another quick kiss over his lips, trying and failing not to grin triumphantly. He rested his head on her shoulder. "You're just cruel, doing that right before a mission," he said. 

"You seemed pretty enthusiastic to me," she said, deciding to risk putting the coffee-bearing arm around him. "In fact, I'd say that was mostly your idea." 

He made an irritated "hmmph" noise, but he was smiling, and she grinned at him, though she pulled back enough to take a sip of her coffee. 

"I didn't spill anything on you, did I?" 

"I hope I would have noticed... so probably not." He let go of her, pulling something out of his jacket's pocket to clean his glasses. She glanced around, and spotted Kotetsu rounding the corner the moment before she heard, "Heyyyy! Rose!" She waved at him, and he broke into a jog as he came to join them. 

"You two look happy," he said. Karina felt her face heat. 

"We have coffee!" she replied, bending to pick up the tray and offer it to him. "Yours is just a plain latte because I sort of remembered that was how you liked your coffee." 

"Yeah, I'm pretty easy to please," he said, taking over the tray, which was wobbling. "Sorry I just passed out earlier." 

"If anyone understands sleep deprivation, it's a group of Heroes," Barnaby said. "Are you feeling better?" 

"Yeah. Curious about what's coming up. Can't be our re-introduction, can it?" 

"Unless they're planning to work you in early," Karina said. "It's been kind of a dull season. Agnes might be after a sweeps stunt." 

No matter how she'd decided to feel about him, it was still just amazing to watch one of those huge grins spread over Kotetsu's face. "Man, I hope you're right, Rose. It'd be good to get some real action for a change." 

Karina heard the honk behind her - her transport's horn was set to play a few bars of "Go to NEXT" - and she turned reluctantly to wave at them. "See you guys there," she said over her shoulder. Kotetsu waved, Barnaby did that little fangirl-bait salute or wave that he did, and she stuck her tongue out at him. She climbed into the truck, accompanied by the sound of Kotetsu snickering. 

* * *

Suited up and waiting, Karina checked her PDA for the fifth time. If she could just get to them first, they were hers - she never would understand why criminals tried getaway cars while she was still an active Hero - but she didn't see them, and the helicopters had moved away. "The idiots are on surface streets," she heard Bison complain. 

"Dammit, they'll kill somebody," Kotetsu's voice cut in. Ignoring the chorus of excited greetings from everyone else, she checked their location and hopped on the bike. She could get down there, especially since she could make her own freeway exits out of ice, and that looked like the shortest route to them. She shot over a wreck at one intersection - Second Leaguers were already there, and she didn't see anyone bleeding - and there was the getaway car, halfway on the sidewalk as it sped around the law-abiding traffic. She didn't see any pedestrians ahead, though. Good. She pulled to a stop in front of them, freezing up their axles and grabbing the car in a giant ice-fist. "My ice may be a little bit cold--" they were bailing out of the car with bags, she shot a gun out of the hand of one of them - "but your crime has been put completely on hold!" And then there was a third climbing out of the car? Armed? Aiming. Suddenly she felt a bit like a truck had picked her up, and the shot echoed harmlessly below her. 

"Use the catchphrase _after_ the arrest," Barnaby said. 

"You think I haven't _had_ this discussion?" she said, wishing her voice didn't shake. "They faked me out." She still had the guns out, and reached around his arm to shoot. The gunman froze, still trying to aim at her and Barnaby. 

"Nicely done," he said, landing on the roof of some restaurant. 

"Thank you," she said. "For the rescue, too. But did it have to be a princess carry?" 

"It's my trademark." He set her down, keeping one hand at her back. "Are you all right?" 

"I want armor," she said. "And I wish you hadn't given Agnes _exactly_ what she wanted." 

Nathan rolled up to the curb alongside the frozen crooks. "Is everything all right, Blue Rose?" 

"These two have been put completely on hold," she said, projecting for the cameras, figuring she might as well salvage it. "And our dear Bunny has perfect timing." She coasted down to ground level on her ice, turned back to blow Barnaby a kiss, and posed for the camera. 

"Not bad," Agnes's voice came in. "Police are on their way." 

"Princess carry~!" Nathan sang out. 

"I hate _everyone,_ " she said, disgustedly. "Can you thaw out the poor hostage, Na-- Fire Emblem? Do I lose points for freezing him?" 

"You have to ask?" Nathan warmed up a small fireball, keeping it between his hands as he passed it over the ice block around the unarmed man. 

"You really did play the rescue quite well," Agnes said. "I'll barely have to coach you two." 

* * *

It had, she decided on viewing the replays, looked all right. She'd have looked more commanding if he weren't twice her size thanks to the armor, but she hadn't _looked_ like her legs were shaking, and at least she hadn't gone all blushing-maiden and stayed near him. It was no more emasculating than it had been for Kotetsu, anyway. "Not quite our full introduction," Barnaby said, dropping by in his undersuit, apparently just to show off how good it looked on him. She'd just gotten away from her own interview and hadn't changed. "We just 'happened to be in the area.'" 

"Oh God, they interviewed you about it, didn't they?" 

"You make it sound like they didn't have a one-on-one with you." 

"Oh, of course they did." Another chance for the ice queen to play off the rescue. _His reflexes are just a bit better than mine, but I would have been all right even if he hadn't meddled._ "I should have had the car up higher. It was just carelessness." 

"Please be careful," he said. "Those situations happen way too often for my taste." 

"I don't exactly love them either," she said, but he was standing close enough that she couldn't help noticing how extremely green his eyes really were, as he touched her face lightly. 

"Seriously," he said. "You frightened me there." 

She nodded, looking down. He looked way too intense and concerned when all she wanted was to forget it had happened. Maybe it got the point across, because he just pulled her into a hug instead. 

Much easier to be a smartass when he wasn't being all gorgeous at her, she thought. "Does that mean I'm allowed to call you Bunny now, since you let me get away with it this time?" 

His arms loosened around her. "You're right," he said. "I did." 

"Hey, who said you could stop hugging?" 

He chuckled, but his arms tightened again. "Under very limited circumstances," he said. "Such as being in character." 

"Heh." That wasn't limited at _all._ Blanket permission to call him that on TV. No way was she going to point that out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [More fanart](http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/016/4/4/more_fanart_for_only_the_lonely_2_by_dev_chieftain-d4mmb38.jpg)
> 
> !


	7. Chapter 7

The next week had the two of them making their real re-entry - Kotetsu, showing off his wire-work, intercepted a flying NEXT she'd seriously thought was going to be Sky High's arrest, while Barnaby pried open a monorail car the guy's partner had welded shut, and she, Sky High and Barnaby ferried the trapped passengers to safety. Bison, of all people, had managed to snag the flyer's heat-powered partner. 

"I'm glad that worked," Barnaby said quietly when they heard Mario announcing Kotetsu's arrest. "He hasn't wanted to show it, but I know he could use some confidence about holding his own in the First League." 

"It should help sell the sponsors, too." 

"Exactly." 

"Blue Rose!" Keith hailed her, returning from handing the last of the passengers to the ground. "I look forward to attending your high school commencement ceremony, Blue Rose!" 

"Oh. Um. Yes." She really hoped the audio hadn't picked that up. "I don't know why, but... wait, who else is coming?" 

Barnaby was facepalming. Without even flipping up his faceplate. "What did he do?" she asked him. 

"I did try to stop him," he said. 

"He invited everyone, didn't he?" 

"...yes." 

She could tell even through the armor that he was watching her warily. "Ugh, _fine._ It's not my fault if you're all bored." She sighed. "Would it be unethical to point you out in a crowd?" 

"Possibly, if you think it might cause a riot." 

She created a few dollops of ice to slide down his neck, and rode her own ice-trail downwards, smirking happily. 

* * *

When she called Jane that night, she mentioned the Hero influx. "So maybe I can show them to you, at a distance, for one bright side to all of them turning up," she said. She'd meant the _general_ you, whatever her conceited semi-boyfriend might want to believe. 

"I don't see why it's bad," Jane said. "It's their decision to attend, right?" 

"I guess so." 

"You're just upset because you don't want the part of your life you care about to have anything to do with high school." 

"What?" That... made a disturbing amount of sense. "How do you _do_ that?" 

"Karina, look at yourself. You quit choir... I guess around the time you became Blue Rose, so that makes sense now, but it didn't to me then. You've been too busy to be in any activities or sports since then. High school didn't mean much to you, did it? You have me and Emily, but we'll be in touch after graduation. There aren't too many people that you'll never see again that you'll miss. Maybe some teachers?" 

Except for Jane and Emily, all her closest friends were Heroes. "I guess you're right." 

"So really, the Heroes are the ones you should celebrate with, right?" 

"I do have the ticket to the school's big 'please don't drink and drive' celebration." 

"Yeah, I'm going because all the people from the musical cast decided to... and Emily's going to a different party with her boyfriend." 

"Oh, she is?" Karina yawned. "Sorry. I dunno, I guess it depends on whether everyone's called into action sometime in the Ls. That's what happened last year." Jane's older brother had been graduating. 

"That's why you left when you did! So many weird things you've done make sense now," Jane said. "It's really enlightening." 

"So glad I could help," Karina snipped, but she felt strangely relieved. She wouldn't be letting anyone down if she just spent the evening with Pao-lin and Nathan. Or Kotetsu and Barnaby. "Do you think I missed out by not being more involved in high school?" 

"Gee, I dunno. You just saved like a dozen people's lives tonight? And made out with Barnaby Brooks Jr.? Yeah, I'd hate to have your life." 

"I didn't make out with him!" Not tonight, anyway. 

"Technicalities," Jane retorted. "I mean, do you feel like you missed out?" 

Karina thought about it. "No. Not at all." 

* * *

She was still disgruntled about Kotetsu's decision, though, and she finally figured out why; he couldn't leave it at an invitation extended to him and to Barnaby. It had to be _all_ the Heroes. 

No point to confronting him about it now, of course; it wasn't like she wanted to uninvite them. She just went around apologizing to them all, which just resulted in everyone assuring her that no, they wouldn't be bored at all, which seemed to kind of defeat the purpose. 

"I just hope we are not called away early!" Keith said earnestly. "Graduations are very special days! Even more than birthdays, because they don't happen every year!" 

"I guess so..." Karina said. Was he going to want to stay to the end because it was a special day for every single person? "I should be called up pretty early. The top fifty people in the class are called first." 

"And you're in that?" Ivan asked, sounding a little stunned. She tried to decide if she should be insulted at his surprise. 

"Wait, what's going on?" Pao-lin asked, so she had to explain and everyone had to congratulate her, and oh God she just wanted it all to be over. School was worse; people were signing yearbooks and exchanging senior pictures, and that was how she discovered two different boys she'd barely known had had crushes on her, which was awkward, and everyone was in a frenzy of planning, and that didn't even count the rehearsal they all had to attend. 

Finally classes ended, and the day arrived - much better than last year, when the seniors had to come back after graduation to take their finals - and Karina's grandparents and her aunt and uncle and cousins all descended on the house. She really hated getting the obligatory graduation gift cards, because it wasn't like she needed money to buy things for her college housing, but her grandparents had insisted. 

At the event hall, her family deposited her in the right section and split off for their seats. Everyone around was fidgetty, excited, perpetually adjusting each other's decorations - shawls? - and mortarboards, and while she couldn't help checking the bobby pins keeping her own in place, it was hard to get that many butterflies in her stomach over this when five days ago she'd had a gun pointed at her. Emily dropped by from her own place in the Cs for hugs, adjustments, and a bit of squealing, and Karina and Jane further readjusted her before sending her back, but mostly, everything seemed to be taking forever. And then she got a call on her PDA. 

"Oh my God, you're kidding," Jane said, seeing it. 

"No, it's just... a personal call. Just a second," Karina said, heading for the restrooms so she could take it. 

She didn't need to - Kotetsu and Barnaby were standing near the water fountain. Kotetsu tapped his own wrist and the tone stopped. He was dressed just like he always was, though he'd plopped the hat on Barnaby, whose hair was pulled back. Barnaby had left his jacket behind. "I'm not sure you'd fool too many people that way," she said, smiling, as she approached them. 

"So far so good," Kotetsu said. "Congratulations, Rose." 

"You look beautiful," Barnaby said. 

"Barnaby, I'm wearing a _mortarboard,_ " she protested, secretly pleased. "No one looks beautiful in those." 

"From the forehead down," he amended. 

She mock-glared, but she still kissed him. Then she turned to Kotetsu and grabbed him by the tie. "Kotetsu..." 

"Urk?" 

"Next time, don't invite people without asking!" She released him. "I'm still glad to see you guys, but seriously." 

"Sorry," he said. "When's the next time?" 

"Her bachelor's degree, of course," Barnaby said, pausing to make some minute adjustment to her honors shawl. "You only need to remember it for another four years. We'd better go back to our seats." 

"Wait," Kotetsu said. "Pictures! Just one," he added, when she and Barnaby both groaned. He grabbed Barnaby, then threw an arm around Karina, holding out his phone with one hand. "Squish down more, Bunny." She reached out to grab his arm, pulling him in close enough that she worried for her mortarboard, and finally Kotetsu said, "Okay, smile. Or kiss or whatever." The flash went off as she was in the midst of a laughing "Kotetsu!" 

He inspected the result and nodded, seeming satisfied. "Better get a move on, Rose." 

"Don't I get to see it?" 

"What? You wanted to?" 

"Barnaby, do something to get back at him for me," she said, and then she was off, dashing back to her group to resume her place in line. When she arrived Jane grinned secretively at her, then straightened her mortarboard, and the teacher who was minding them gave her a long-suffering sigh. 

* * *

The ceremony was, as she'd expected, excruciatingly boring, though she and Jane were able to switch places with a few classmates between them on their way back to their seats and talk unobtrusively. She was also able to point out her "um, coworkers" in the audience. "The one you were asking about is the guy with the short blond hair." 

"Ah," Jane said, maybe blushing. "He's kind of cute, in a tiny, blurry way." 

"Yeah, what can I say, they had to go for the open seating." 

When it was finally over, and everyone had tossed their mortarboards and then reclaimed whichever had fallen closest and poured out of the auditorium, Karina reunited with her family. They'd had dinner beforehand, one set of grandparents had a long drive back home, the other didn't but seemed eager to go anyway, and her youngest cousin was asleep on his feet, so the extended family was off. "The parking lot's going to be a nightmare," he father said. "We probably should have carpooled." 

"We can wait out some of the rush," her mother said soothingly, extracting another stray bobby pin from Karina's hair. "Did you get a chance to talk to Jane and Emily?" she asked. 

"Mom, I was sitting right by Jane," Karina said, checking her cell phone - a message from Nathan, saying they'd meet her at the pancake house across the street. She texted back "be there soon as I can." She tried to imagine Nathan, in his usual getup, sitting in one of the plastic booths. Not that he'd ever be uncomfortable. "Did you want to talk to their parents?" 

"I just haven't seen them in a while," Karina's mother said, which she took as a yes. 

It was nearly half an hour later before they managed to get away, Emily with her boyfriend - Karina barely knew him, but Jane approved, and they'd been together a while - and Karina and Jane together. Karina had sent a hasty "hey mind if I bring my friend?" and Nathan had apparently polled the table and gotten approval, so that was their destination. 

"Does my hair look okay?" Jane asked, just outside the door. 

"Better than mine," Karina said. 

"Oh, please, you always look good." 

"Think about the hair on the guy I'm seeing," Karina reminded her, pushing the door open. Jane just laughed at her. 

She spotted them as soon as she was inside, and headed for their booth, Jane trailing behind. Nathan's clothing was pretty subdued, for him, a tee-shirt and jeans, though the shirt was pink and skintight and he probably had on glittery high-heeled boots. Kotetsu was trying to put on his mask, over Barnaby's obvious objections, but everyone else was waving and greeting them, and Sky High, of course, had to reach out to shake hands with Jane. Who was being uncharacteristically quiet, really. "So you can probably guess who everyone is," she said, reaching out to pluck the mask from Kotetsu's hand. "I mean, now that you can see them all." 

"Yeah," Jane said, not actually smiling but with sort of a manic look in her eyes. "Um, it's very nice to meet you all." 

"Did you also graduate tonight?" Sky High asked her. "Congratulations, and again, congratulations! And to you as well, Ms. Blue!" 

"Thank you," Karina said, for both of them, since Jane was looking a little overwhelmed. 

"You went to a very large high school!" he added. 

She laughed, because that was the closest she could imagine to a complaint from him. "I did warn you guys," she said. "Oh, jeez, I'm sorry. Everyone, this is Jane." Barnaby looked like he was about to extend a hand for a handshake, but Jane turned back to Karina without seeing it. 

"I should probably go," Jane said, barely above a whisper. "I don't want to keep my parents waiting." 

"Are you sure?" The traffic really hadn't cleared up at all. 

"Yeah, you know, just in case," Jane said, so they headed back outdoors. Karina looked back a bit regretfully - maybe she should have tried to keep Sky High in reserve, or something. She hadn't even made introductions to Barnaby and Kotetsu. And Jane should really meet Pao-lin, since she and Pao-lin would be roommates. 

"Sorry," Karina said. "I guess it was a little overwhelming?" 

"Oh my God Sky High shook hands with me!" Jane squeaked. "Karina, this was the best graduation present, thank you!" 

"You're welcome?" 

Jane hugged her. "We'll be in touch, right?" 

"Of course we will!" She stepped back. "Have fun at the party." 

"Probably not because of the party itself, but I will," Jane said. 

Back inside, Karina returned the mask to a pouting Kotetsu, and squeezed in between him and Barnaby. "Sorry," she said. "I think she got shy at the last minute." 

"It does happen," Barnaby said. "She's a fan?" 

"Kinda?" 

"Darling, have you eaten?" Nathan asked her. "I hear the Moons Over My Hammy is _exquisite._ " 

Kotetsu and Bison both laughed; she just stared. "Is that actually a thing?" she finally asked, when Nathan's smile didn't even twitch. 

"It's not half bad," Kotetsu said. 

"Seriously, it's real?" 

* * *

It was real, according to the evidence of Kotetsu's phone, though this was the wrong restaurant for it. Karina ordered pancakes - for all her scorn she hadn't been able to eat much before the ceremony - and let Kotetsu steal her bacon. Karina and Pao-lin started talking across the table about when they could start apartment hunting; eventually Pao-lin climbed over Origami so they could talk more easily, and Karina figured from the look on his face that either he did like girls or Pao-lin had misplaced a knee. 

Bison needed to leave early, or maybe he just wanted to since there was no alcohol to be had, and she and Barnaby let Kotetsu out so they could go catch up for a while. Sky High excused himself since he still needed to patrol for the night, and Pao-lin had to leave because he was going to be her ride home. 

That left Origami looking a little confused and frightened - he'd spent most of the evening, from what Karina could see, talking to Sky High and Pao-lin - and while Barnaby tried to engage him in conversation about the Hero Academy, that didn't seem to help once Nathan draped an arm around him. 

"You have to let me help you decorate," Nathan was saying to her, not for the first time that evening. 

"I'm not saying no, I'm just saying you should check with Pao-lin," she hedged. Knowing how Pao-lin felt about girly things compared to how Nathan felt about them, she really didn't want to make any unilateral decisions. 

"Aw, honey," Kotetsu said, standing over the table with a crooked grin on his face. "I turn my back and I find you with your arm around a blond half my age?" Barnaby looked slightly startled - he did, in fact, have his arm around her. 

"He's just a friend," Nathan retorted, letting Origami go. 

"This booth is full of blonds," Karina pointed out. 

"Just scoot over, Bunny, no need to get up," Kotetsu said, so she had to scoot too, and somewhere in the process Origami decided it was time to make his escape. 

"Congratulations, Blue Rose, and thank you for inviting me." He actually bowed. 

"Seriously, it was... I don't understand why you all sat through it... um, thank you?" 

He bowed again and fled. "That kid..." Kotetsu said. "So what'd I miss?" 

"A lot of discussion of decorating and Hero Academy, I believe," Barnaby said. "Definitely Hero Academy." 

"I really am sorry I didn't get Jane introduced to you guys," Karina said. "I didn't know she was that much of a Sky High fan or I would have saved him for last." 

"Oh, don't worry about that," Nathan said. "He's just friendly, anyway." 

"Besides, we'll be around," Kotetsu said. "You're staying in touch with her, right? There'll be other chances." 

She nodded. Nathan offered her a sip of his milkshake. "So how's it feel being done?" he asked. 

"It doesn't feel real," she said. "It's like how it doesn't count as summer vacation until it's the first Monday of the break. And even then... the end-of-season party's, what, next week, depending on the crime?" 

"If not sooner," Barnaby said. "I don't know how they pull them together so quickly." 

"Well-compensated caterers, I know that," Nathan said. "Karina, forgive me, but this was the first event I've been to in years that made those parties seem entertaining by comparison. And you know I go to plenty." 

She laughed. "I warned _everyone!_ You have no one to blame but yourselves!" 

He ruffled her hair. "It was your graduation! I couldn't miss it, I don't care how much you say graduating was a foregone conclusion." 

"I haven't been to a graduation since... jeez, since I graduated," Kotetsu said. "Back when you were a baby, Rose. Maybe a fetus." 

"Well, I won't say it's been _that_ long, but... since I graduated, yes." Nathan grinned at them. "I need my beauty sleep. You three be good. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." 

"Set the bar a little higher than that," Kotetsu complained. "We've got an innocent young girl here." 

He just smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling, and slid out of the booth. Yes, Karina noticed, pink glittery boots, and a belt to match. "Have fun!" he called out, waving at them as he left. 

"Well, I guess innocent young girls are pretty safe with him," Kotetsu said, once he was gone. Karina thought about pointing out that she regularly wore a costume that had to be glued to her nipples and included a feature she and her wardrobe people called the "ass-vines," but instead she just smiled to herself. Not only would that be a little awkward to bring up, but she knew perfectly well that Nathan had been talking to _her,_ too. 

* * *

They eventually paid up and relocated to Kotetsu's car. "You need to get home, Rose?" Kotetsu asked. 

She shook her head. "I should probably check in at some point, but I told my parents I'd probably be out most of the night. The school hosts an all-night party, and they were fine with me going to that." 

"Doesn't mean they'd be fine with you hanging out alone with a couple of older guys all night," he pointed out, and she had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. She'd done this before! "Of course you've got me as a chaperone," he added. "Hey, that's an idea. Bunny, let's show her your apartment!" 

"You're actually bothering to consult me?" he asked. "Does that mean I could say no?" 

"Is there some reason you don't want your girlfriend to see your apartment?" 

They hadn't actually gotten around to using that term, as such, yet, so Karina blushed, and she strongly suspected Barnaby was doing the same. "No," he said, a bit strangled. Kotetsu chuckled a bit evilly as he started the car. 

"So that's the plan. We're going to go watch movies at Bunny's place in hopes _you_ can talk him into buying a couch, Rose. Especially once you see his amazing TV." 

"I've been shopping for one," he protested. "I just have to find one I like." 

"What exactly does a couch need to do?" Kotetsu argued. "You sit on it. If your ass doesn't hurt, the couch works, so you buy it." 

Karina sat back to let them bicker. She'd need to buy a couch, probably. Other furniture. She wasn't sure if she wanted Pao-lin to let Nathan help them decorate or not. On the one hand, she was sure he'd do a good job of it, but on the other, if it reflected his personal taste too much, it might be a bit blinding. Or pink enough to kill her roommate. Eventually, she dozed off, only waking once they reached the apartment. "You really do tend to fall asleep in cars," Barnaby noted. 

"I'm kind of conditioned to," she said. "Sometimes I think I get more sleep in my transport than at home." 

"Might want to break that habit before you learn to drive," Kotetsu said. "Brace yourself for this place, it's pretty fancy." 

"I'm sure she can cope," Barnaby said, so of course she had to look unimpressed by the elegant lobby and gleaming elevator. His apartment was... "The first word that comes to mind is 'cavernous,'" she admitted, when Kotetsu asked what she thought. He headed off for another room, snickering. 

"I've been thinking of redecorating," Barnaby said, a little defensively. 

"It's really nice, just... large," she said. "I think you need more furniture just so it won't feel so empty." 

"I do get the picture," he said, then "I apologize. I'm getting a bit tired of Kotetsu needling me about it, but that's not your fault." 

"Where's the-- oh, wow," she said, her question about the fabled TV superceded by the view. "No wonder you don't bother with hanging things on the walls. It'd be pointless with a view like that." The city was spread out below, glittering and beautiful, darkness and distance hiding all the flaws. 

"And that's the reason I live here," he said, joining her at the window, their arms just touching. She leaned into his side a bit, smiling. 

"Bunny, you're supposed to be picking out a movie," Kotetsu called from the other room. 

"All right, all right." 

Karina tore herself away from the view to watch Barnaby pick up the remote, only to blurt "Holy crap, _that's_ your TV?" 

She could hear Kotetsu's laughter loud and clear, even before he emerged with a tray full of drinks. 

"So that's the kitchen in there," she said. "Barnaby, can I look around?" 

"Of course." 

There wasn't much to see - a bedroom, with a neatly-made bed, a nightstand, and nothing else; a sleek, modern-looking bathroom, noteworthy mostly for the array of hair products on the counter; and the kitchen, which looked like exactly her mom's style, with a kitchen island in the middle, a lot of dark, gleaming wood, and equally gleaming appliances with elaborate controls. "You keep things really clean," she commented, leaving the kitchen. 

"Er, thank you?" 

"Rose, you called your parents?" 

"You're really bossy tonight," she noted, pulling out her phone and stepping out into the hallway. 

Her mother was the one who picked up the home phone. "I'm going to be staying over night with some of the other heroes," Karina reported, hoping that would be enough. 

"All right, Karina. Just remember to be careful, especially if you're, you know, with Barnaby..." 

" _Mom,_ oh my God _shut up,_ I told you it's not like that." This was what she got for admitting to her mother that there might be a Barnaby/Blue Rose subplot in the works with maybe a tiny bit of basis in reality. 

"Don't worry, I won't tell your father." 

"Because there's nothing to _tell!_ " Not yet, anyway. Maybe Pao-lin would be willing to go look at apartments tomorrow. Or right this instant. Better yet, yesterday. 

"Well, have fun, sweetie," her mother said, and Karina gritted out a goodbye and waited in the hall for a bit to get over the mortification before she went back inside. 

"Water, soda, or juice?" Kotetsu greeted her when she came back in. 

"Vodka," she said, claiming a water bottle and flopping down on the floor by Kotetsu. 

"Well, there's beer," Kotetsu said, seeming unfazed. 

"Suddenly you drink decent beer?" Barnaby asked, apparently just noticing the bottle Kotetsu had in hand. 

"I never said I wouldn't drink the stuff. I just said I wouldn't _pay_ for it. You want any, Rose?" 

"Still underage," she reminded him. 

"You just graduated! Sometimes you relax the rules a little." He passed her his bottle, and she hesitantly took a sip, her face twisting immediately at the bitterness. Kotetsu cracked up, and Barnaby smiled wryly as she passed it back to Kotetsu. 

"Dark beers aren't something you give to a new drinker," he said, disapprovingly. 

"Unless you just want to see a classic facial expression," he said. "Sorry, Rose, but that was priceless." 

" _So_ glad you enjoyed," she said, taking a long drink of her water to get the taste out of her mouth. 

"You get the chair," Kotetsu said. "Ladies don't have to sit on the floor." 

"So I'm sitting on a throne with you two at my feet?" She grinned. "I think I like this idea." 


	8. Chapter 8

Despite that, she stayed on the floor with them, leaning against Barnaby, Kotetsu on her other side, through the first movie, some action film Kotetsu insisted was a classic. She was seeing quite a few of Kotetsu's idea of classics, really, but he didn't seem to have awful taste in movies. He liked things that made him laugh, and even when the jokes didn't work for her, it was nice to see him having fun. The second movie was another of Kotetsu's black-and-white comedies, and midway through it Barnaby laid down with his head in her lap. She tried not to blush, or really do anything to give away that she had that hot-and-cold feeling she used to get from closeness to Kotetsu (and, okay, sometimes still did,) and eventually she ran her fingers through his hair. He shot a glance up at her, smiling, then seemed to relax, which she took as permission to spend the rest of the movie stroking his hair, and privately wondering how the hell he could keep it looking so perfect without leaving it _feeling_ like it was full of product. 

When the credits rolled and Barnaby sat up, Kotetsu shifted with a snort, and she realized he'd fallen asleep leaning against her. "I guess it's getting a bit late for the old man," Barnaby said affectionately. 

"'m not old," Kotetsu protested. "Or sleeping. Just resting my eyes." 

Karina giggled, and Kotetsu decided to flop over sideways in the other direction, away from her. "Yeah. You're wide awake," she said. 

"Quiet, youngsters," Kotetsu commanded. 

"This isn't much of a graduation party," Barnaby said. 

"It's a perfect graduation party," she replied. "Or... okay, it could use more seating." Barnaby just groaned, stretching out on the floor himself. Karina drifted over to the window, looking out again at Stern Bild. The Justice statue stared out over the city, all of the damage from their fight there long since repaired. From Barnaby's window she could see over one of the edges down into Silver, and a sweep of freeway, still thick with traffic even at this time of night. She heard movement behind her, and glanced over her shoulder to see Barnaby getting up. He joined her at the window, but other than touching her shoulder, didn't get close; she was the one who leaned back into him. 

"Really?" he asked. "A perfect graduation party?" 

"The kind where I'm with people I actually like, and I'm not stuck being nice to some executive who won't listen to anything I say about my catchphrase." 

"I don't think there'd be many Pepsi executives at most graduation parties." 

"Maybe not." She took his hands from her shoulders and moved them down to her waist, but it was hard to miss his tension. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" 

"Possibly," he said. "Not exactly in a bad way." 

"Should we get Kotetsu a pillow or something?" she asked, and she felt him press his face into her hair. 

"You seem to be assuming I have pillows to spare." 

"Right. How silly of me. No blankets, then, either?" She tipped her head back to look at him, and he kissed her forehead lightly. She pouted until he kissed her on the lips. 

"I have one in the linen closet for winter." 

"Well, then..." 

He padded off toward his bedroom, and she looked around the room. Of course, no throw pillows, no couch cushions, no couch. Just that amazing view, but much as she might be enjoying it, it was hard to ignore what it said. He'd been in this place nearly two and a half years, he'd been partnered with Kotetsu for half of that - and his apartment was all about putting a sheet of glass between him and the rest of the world, and not making it that comfortable for anyone in there with him. But then again, Kotetsu was at least as bad about that, and his apartment was comfortable and homey. 

When Barnaby returned with the blanket and draped it over Kotetsu, the older man rolled onto his back but never opened his eyes. Barnaby rejoined her at the window, but didn't put his arms back around her. "It feels a little odd kissing you with him right there," he whispered. 

"Well, you know, you have a bedroom..." 

"Oh," he said, then "Oh!" like it had taken a moment to sink in. She walked through the room, heart beating hard, trying her damnedest not to look nervous. Or be nervous. He followed her after a moment, but when she sat on the edge of his bed, he stayed at the doorway. "Are you sure?" he asked. 

"It's not like we have to have sex. There are a lot of things on the way to it. I mean, do you even have condoms?" He shook his head. "There you go," she said. "So get over here." 

He sat next to her on the bed, and she got up on her knees so she could pull off his glasses and start kissing him. She felt his hands go to her hips, while one of hers was just sort of helplessly holding his glasses until she pulled away to put them on the nightstand. She ran her hands down his chest - he just felt so _solid_ \- and kissed him again, this time feeling his lips part under hers. She laced a hand through his hair, kissed his chin, his throat, along his jaw. He was trying to unbutton her blouse, but she got a gratifyingly sharp inhale of breath when she found the spot behind his ear. She untucked his shirt, tried the point behind his ear again, flicking her tongue against it this time. He pulled back enough to let her pull his shirt off, and she noticed he'd gotten all but one button. As he tossed the shirt aside, she took care of that one, then hesitated just a moment before shrugging the shirt off. 

He reached out to run a finger along the edge of her bra. "I suppose I've seen this much before thanks to your costume, but this is different," he said. 

She giggled. "I'm glad?" She was also glad she'd worn the nice lacy one. He kissed her neck, this time, her collarbone, and she ran her hands down his back, over his arms again, and, okay, that spot behind the ear was apparently a unisex thing. He seemed to be working up the nerve to move lower. Seriously, there was no way they'd have had sex tonight, she thought, at the rate he was operating, unless she'd just ordered him to fuck her. She didn't feel quite up to doing that yet. He pulled back a bit, readjusted himself on the bed, and this time she kissed him on the lips again. She could feel his hands behind her, working on the clasp of her bra... and working, and... "Is there a problem?" she asked. 

"I don't think I understand your bra," he said, almost thoughtfully, like he was talking about a calculus problem or something. She started laughing, unable to stop herself despite his grumpy look. 

"It's really not that complicated," she said. 

"Easy for you to say. You wear it every day." 

"Here," she said, reaching behind herself to unhook it. "It's very simple. Take a look." He ignored the bra, kissing her again, apparently too shy to stare at her breasts openly, but not at all too shy to cup one in his palm, like he was just getting used to the fact it was there. Fine by her, because she was getting used to the idea that someone was touching her there - not for costuming or to take measurements, for once - and it was Barnaby, and she really kind of wished he had condoms right now. He rubbed his thumb over the nipple, and it was her turn to gasp in a breath. 

"This is all right? Was that good?" 

"Yes," she said, and when she kissed him again his lips were stretched into a smile. He kissed her throat, again, and she ran her hands over his chest, lingering over his own nipples, and got an appreciative sort of hum at her throat. He was working down her chest with his lips, extremely slowly, and she shifted her weight until she could get a leg over him and straddle him. His lips closed on her other nipple, suckling lightly. "Harder," she said, and he obeyed, and she heard herself moan. Oh good, she thought, I always wondered if I'd make noise during sex, and then she remembered Kotetsu was just in the next room and hoped neither of them was inclined to scream. Her hips ground down against his, and the noise he made was somewhere in the vicinity of a groan. 

"You have to buy condoms," she said. 

"There's probably a convenience store open," he said. "Right now. Somewhere." 

She rocked her hips against his again, setting up a rhythm, not sure whether she was more turned on by the sensation between her legs or the noise he made. She could feel how hard he was, and her hands strayed to his belt buckle. "Is it uncomfortable?" she asked. Those pants he wore were tight. He sort of grunted. She took a moment to undo his belt, but fumbled with the button of his pants, and he reached to help her. She climbed off him so he could pull his pants down, trying not to look too bashful as she took in the outline of his erection through his underwear. She wasn't about to judge size, with no visual basis for comparison, but _she_ made that happen. 

"I don't know how much you want to..." he asked, trailing off as she ran a hand over it through the cloth. She'd read the sheet music, so no point to being shy about touching the keys, she thought. 

"I don't know either," she said. "I guess we'll find out." 

He ran his hands up her thighs, under her skirt. "Is this actually your school uniform?" 

"No," she said. "If you have some schoolgirl fetish, you'll have to ask nicely, because I don't ever intend to wear that thing again." 

"Good thing I don't," he said, and then his exploring fingers hit the right spot through her underwear and she shuddered. "Did I--?" 

"No, that's good," she said, "there, right there," and she was pressing into his hand, breathing hard. She'd done this herself, but this was someone else's hand, Barnaby's hand, and she was too close to the edge to even feel self-conscious about how she must look, what noises she was making, until finally the tension exploded and she sagged against him, skin tingling, panting. She could feel his arms around her, but it took a minute before she lifted her head, and then he kissed her. 

He was smiling softly at her when she opened her eyes. "Maybe I shouldn't ask if you're all right," he said. 

"Oh, way better than that," she said happily. She kind of wanted just to flop bonelessly on the bed, but she'd neglected something. "You need to let me return the favor." 

"That's.... not necessary," he said. '

"It's not?" 

"It's... messy." She just looked at him. "And I may not, um, last long, under the circumstances." 

"I don't exactly have a frame of reference," she said. "But it's your, um... problem." 

"Interesting euphemism," he said, but he peeled off his underwear. She touched his member lightly, mostly noticing details - the sort of red tint to his pubic hair, the patterns of hair on his lower belly and upper thighs, compared to the smoothness of his chest. She circled his erection with her hand, rubbing slowly, noticing the change in his breathing, the trace of pre-come on the head, and she rubbed a thumb over the head and heard him gasp. His eyes were closed, his hands fisted in the sheets, and she felt tremendously powerful. Sure, he could do this himself, but she knew from her own experience it wasn't the same, and _she_ was the one making him look like that, and sound like that. 

"I'm about to--" he said, a second or so too late, as his climax began to spill over her hands. "There's tissue on the nightstand," he added, breathing hard. 

"Barnaby, there's such a thing as being too much of a neat freak," she said, trying not to laugh, even as she reached for the box. At least none of it had gotten on her skirt. 

"I don't want to change the sheets," he said. She passed him a handful of tissue, leaving it to him to clean himself up. "I'm sorry if I was too..." 

"Too...?" She honestly had no idea what he meant. 

"Aggressive?" 

"I was the one that started all this, if you'll remember," she said, crawling over toward the head of the bed. "And got your shirt off first." 

"True," he agreed, standing to throw out the tissue. "I suppose I just remembered our age difference." 

"You did?" She yawned. "I have a hard time remembering you're that much older than me." 

"Really?" 

"You and Tiger both. Kotetsu." 

"Sometimes it's hard to remember that Kotetsu's not _twelve,_ " Barnaby said, stretching out next to her, and she giggled. He got up on one elbow to kiss her again. She touched his face, rubbing a thumb over his chin to feel the stubble. 

"I guess this is one solution to the bedding problem," she said. He nuzzled against her shoulder, sliding an arm around her waist, and she shifted until she could put her arm around his shoulders. "If we can sleep like this," she added. 

"I'm happy to give it a try," he said, and she heard him yawn a moment later. 

Her eyes slipped closed. "One way to find out," she agreed. 

* * *

When she woke up that morning, it took her a moment to place the room she was in, remember the previous night's events - _Oh God we got to, what, like third base with Kotetsu just in the next room?_ \- and then notice something amiss. Barnaby was next to her, looking rumpled, half awake and very happy, just smiling at her; she felt an answering smile on her own face. Pretty much no one else got to see Barnaby Brooks looking like this, even if some of the magazine spreads were going for the same effect. But there was still something off, she thought. 

"Do you smell something burning?" she asked, once she'd placed it, and Barnaby's smile vanished. He climbed out of bed, grabbing his glasses, then last night's underwear and jeans. She followed, claiming his tee-shirt from the floor and pulling it on over her head. They were both out the door in seconds, with her already gathering the moisture in the air to her in case there was a fire to be doused. 

There was no sign of Kotetsu in the living room, but Barnaby headed for the kitchen after giving it only a cursory glance. The smell was distinctly stronger in the kitchen, where Kotetsu was standing over the stove, without his tie or vest, wielding a spatula a bit like a chisel as he attempted to get something out of a pan. 

"Kotetsu," Barnaby said. "What." 

"Well, you two were nowhere to be found and up to no good, so I figured I'd make breakfast," Kotetsu said. "And frying eggs is just a little more complicated than I remembered." 

"...you couldn't have started with cereal?" Barnaby asked. 

"Oh, you have cereal?" 

Karina slipped around them to examine the plate full of crunchy-looking egg remains. "Some of these are probably edible," she said. "Or they would be if they weren't cold." Barnaby was silent. She rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, or at least she hoped it was comforting. 

"I'll go pick some food up," Kotetsu said. "That bakery you like should be open, right?" 

"Probably," Barnaby said quietly. 

"So, uh... bye!" Kotetsu snagged his hat from the counter and fled, goofy run and all. Without any parting cracks about what they'd clearly done the night before. Thank God. 

"It's just some eggs," she said. "It's not like he trashed the whole kitchen." 

"I know," he said. "It was just a jarring way to wake up. I immediately envisioned Kotetsu sending the kitchen up in flames, and... let's just say I had a bad reaction to that." 

"I think most people would," she said, taking the frying pan Kotetsu had been chipping at and putting it into the sink to soak. 

"It's... different," he said. "I'd rather not discuss my parents' murders right now, but trust me." 

"Oh my God, Barnaby," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. 

"And I know it sounds absurd to go from the smell of burning food to that," he said, "but let's just say I don't have much faith in Kotetsu's ability to cook." 

"Surely he's not setting things on fire regularly, though," she said. "He's lived alone for years. He has to have basic survival skills." 

"I suppose so," Barnaby said, not sounding terribly convinced. He did know Kotetsu better than she did. She rubbed his shoulders. "Do you need to take a shower or anything?" he asked. 

"I figured I'd wait till I got to the training center, where I actually have clean clothes to change into," she said. "So you can go ahead." 

"You won't join me?" Karina pulled back enough to look at his face, which looked so sweet and hopeful she had to wonder why she'd disliked him so long. 

"Next time," she said, kissing him. Not right now, with Kotetsu about to come back. And she didn't even want to consider the state of her underwear. "Hey, your stubble really is kind of reddish." 

"I gather that happens with blond men," he said. "You shouldn't need to let Kotetsu in - he's in the system already, and he knows the key code. I should add you as well." 

"Really?" 

"Of course," he said. "It's just a matter of programming in your thumbprint - it should take about thirty seconds." Clearly he hadn't understood her surprise, but she didn't feel like explaining it, so she just nudged him toward the bathroom and went in search of her bra and blouse. 

Just in time, because she heard the living room door open as she buttoned. "Helloooo..." Kotetsu called. "Bunny? Rose?" 

"He's taking a shower!" she called from the bedroom. "I'll be right out." 

She didn't hear his response, if he had one, but she found him in the kitchen, a couple of bakery bags sitting on the counter. "He still mad at me?" Kotetsu asked. 

Karina shook her head. "I think he was just sort of thrown by waking up to that." 

"Yeah, he's a little territorial about his stuff," Kotetsu said. "I got bagels and cream cheese, and some cinnamon rolls. No coffee, though." Kotetsu seemed to know his way around the kitchen reasonably well, so she stood back to let him find plates, knives and forks, and set up the coffee maker. Nothing burst into flames, no matter what Barnaby thought of his partner's cooking skills, though it would have taken a coffee-maker explosion to plausibly make it happen. She watched him, wondering what he thought, how he felt, knowing that the two of them had been having sex in the next room while he slept. Wondering, guiltily, if he was jealous that he wasn't with her, or lonely, missing his wife. Wondering if they shouldn't have, after all. 

But he just started talking about the bakery, about times he'd slept in the chair or on the floor - "Usually I only stay over here if I've been drinking, I'm too old to sleep on floors too much" - and somehow that led into great moments in property damage, and she told him about the time she'd caused a four-car pileup by making a getaway car spin out. Which wasn't as funny as most of his. 

"That's when I started grabbing the cars instead," she said. 

"I remember that," Kotetsu said. "I worried about you. That one crook was in bad shape for a while." 

She nodded. She'd taken a week off school, paralyzed with anxious frustration and guilt. It had been three days till she thought to send flowers to the man's hospital room, at Nathan's suggestion, and then she got in trouble with Robert because it was too close to admitting responsibility if they faced a wrongful-death suit. He'd pulled through, but she'd been badly shaken. "I didn't know you kept up with Hero TV while you were retired," she said, taking one of the cinnamon rolls. 

"Oh yeah. It was the easiest way to keep up with all of you," he said, spreading cream cheese on a bagel. "I was a fan long before I was a hero. Probably always will be. What do they call it, Monday morning quarterbacking? Did a lot of that too." 

"Hey," she protested. "We did _just fine,_ thank you." 

"Didn't miss me at all, huh?" He followed her through the kitchen door. "Figures." 

"No, we missed you," she said softly. She'd missed him a _lot._ "It wasn't the same without both of you there," she added, more audibly, setting her plate down and sitting on the floor. She took a second to arrange her skirt over her knees. "Mostly you. I mean, Barnaby always kind of kept to himself, but..." 

"I never did," he said, grinning. 

"No," Karina said, but she was thinking about all the things Kotetsu _did_ keep to himself, as she meditatively uncoiled her cinnamon roll. Eventually, he set his bagel down to watch her. "I've just always done this," she explained. "Because sometimes they hide raisins in them." 

Kotetsu chuckled. "They reminded you of bugs when you were little?" he asked. She nodded, but before she could ask, he explained, "Tomoe hated cooked raisins too." 

That was when Barnaby walked in, shirtless and barefoot, hair damp, a towel draped around his shoulders. "Food's in the kitchen," Kotetsu greeted him. 

"Ah, thank you," he said, heading that way. Karina watched him go, taking in the line of his backbone, the curve of his lower back, the way the jeans, beltless, rode lower on his hips than usual. When she made herself look away, she caught a glimpse of Kotetsu, watching him too, before she looked down at her plate. 

Barnaby downed his bagel in a few bites before he returned the bathroom; she could hear the hair dryer as she and Kotetsu talked about food, about keeping their managers happy, about how she needed to learn to drive. "Though I'm thinking of just buying a motorcycle," she said. 

"Be sure you wear a helmet." 

"Why? You and Barnaby never do." 

"My skull's too thick for injury, and Bunny, uh..." 

"It looks better on camera," Barnaby called from the bathroom. 

She popped the last of her cinnamon roll in her mouth. "Only applies when you're actually being filmed. I know you two are allowed to take those home with you." 

"You aren't?" 

"Under twenty-one," she said. 

"Your contract kinda bites, Rose," Kotetsu said. 

"Yeah, _tell_ me about it." 

* * *

"You look happy," Nathan said, when she hopped on the treadmill next to him. "Planning to tell me?" 

"Later," Karina said, but she was pretty sure he caught her smiling across the room at Barnaby, and he definitely caught them making out by the vending machine when they took a break, so the rest was just filling in the details. Which she did, blushing furiously, in the women's locker room. 

"Okay, a couple of tips," Nathan said. "You're not going to break it by accident without NEXT powers--" 

"Oh my _God_ Nathan," she protested. "Just recommend me a book or something!" She'd already read a few on her own, in the sex-and-relationships aisle at the bookstore she and her friends frequented, but it was one way to stop him from talking anymore. 

"Ah ha," he said. "So you found the single-father book." 

"I didn't _buy_ it. I just... saw it." 

"Well, I have a few I can vouch for," he said. "Want me to take you and Pao-lin out shopping later?" 

"Can't," she said. "I'm booked up for the rest of the week to make up for the time I took off for graduation. Just tell me some titles." She pulled out her phone - she was _not_ using her company PDA to record a list of sex-tip books - and then burst out laughing at the sight of it. 

Her wallpaper had been changed to a photo of Kotetsu, clearly taken this morning to go by the missing tie, undone buttons and rumpled hair. He was wearing a wide, silly grin and flashing his finger-V by his face. "Barnaby was right," she said. "He really can't help himself." 


	9. Chapter 9

Karina didn't have any time that wasn't dedicated either to sleep or hero business until her Friday gig at the bar. She only saw Barnaby on the phone all week. It was a relief to be somewhere with her own minimal makeup, no wig, no costume, and nothing to think about except the song in front of her. Until she glanced out at the bar, when she stood up to take a bow just before her break, and saw Kotetsu sitting there. 

This time she didn't see any reason not to hop down from the stage and run over to hug him. He patted her back a little awkwardly. "Didn't think you'd be that happy to see me," he said. 

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, hoisting herself up onto the barstool. "You haven't been to one of these in the longest time." 

"Thought you might have been hoping for Bunny," he said, scratching at his beard. She elbowed him gently. Barnaby was recording some kind of voiceover tonight. "I remember being that age, you know?" 

"I can still be happy to see you, too," she said. "I've missed seeing you here. Did you stop coming because I started seeing him?" 

"No," he said, looking a little shifty, and she realized he'd probably stopped coming because she'd kissed him, rather than anything specifically about Barnaby. 

Blushing, she cast about for a topic as unconnected to that as possible. "I never did get to see that picture of us you took on my graduation." 

"Right," he said, fishing his phone out of his pocket and fiddling with it. "Should be in here somewhere," he said, passing it to her, and returning to his drink. 

She flipped through the gallery, slowly: One of Kaede, maybe taken a couple of years ago - she wasn't a good judge of kids' ages. One of a young, pretty Asian woman, holding a baby. That had to be his wife and Kaede, years and years ago. A couple of group shots - Bison, Sky High and Agnes all together, for some reason. Her, Nathan, Pao-lin and Origami, not even posed. Okay, she remembered _that_ one, from rehearsals for the MVP ceremony where she and Pao-lin had been announced for their rookie season. Nathan had been all "oh, it'll be so nice to have some other girls around," and she and Pao-lin had hidden in the women's room, debating what pronouns they were supposed to use for Nathan. 

Another of Kaede, sitting in a booth at a restaurant. One of himself, making the obligatory goofy face and finger-V. A really nice one of Barnaby, who looked a little surprised, like he was about to ask why Kotetsu was taking a picture; the photo itself had the off-kilter look of something snapped in a hurry. She lingered on it for a moment. The next was of his wife, reading - she wore glasses? - seeming not to even notice he was there. Another of Kaede, laughing at something. A group shot of the Second League heroes eating pizza. And then one of Karina herself, onstage, playing the piano. It was a little crooked, just like the one of Barnaby, like he'd taken it in a hurry. 

The next one was the shot he'd taken that day. She was laughing, and Kotetsu was halfway grinning, and Barnaby had a sort of half-smile on his face as he looked at her. "At least my eyes were open," she said. 

"I think it looked nice," Kotetsu said. "You looked happy." 

"Some of those must have been taken years ago." 

"Yeah," he said. "At least a couple phones ago. I just keep my favorites on it, so I have 'em with me. There's one taken right after we got Kaede home from the hospital, I know that." She passed him the phone. "Heh, and the first time I met you." 

"I remember thinking 'how does he get his beard that shape, and why is he taking pictures?'" 

Kotetsu laughed. "The beard's a secret. You and the Kid were new, and Origami was so shy I didn't have any of him till then." 

"You just take pictures of other people. Never of yourself with anyone. I'd have thought you'd have at least one of you and Barnaby together, but the only photo where you're with anyone is the one of the three of us." 

"I know what _I_ look like," he said. "I don't need pictures of me." 

"But you saved that one where you're making a silly face..." 

"Are you saying I ever make any other kind of face?" 

"Maybe once in a while," she said. He grinned, flipping through the photos. He lingered on the one of Barnaby, too, for a moment, and before he could get to hers, she blurted out, "So are we part of your family now?" 

He didn't look up. "These were a little more personal than I thought." 

"Kotetsu..." She glanced at the clock. "Listen, you can't leave until I'm done, okay? Promise me." 

"Sure," he said, but she stared at him until he met her eyes. "I promise," he said. 

"And you can't get drunk, because if we have to get another ride from Barnaby he's going to start wondering why I don't take better care of you." 

"Hey," he protested. "I hardly ever get drunk, and if I did we could just call a cab." 

"Kotetsu..." 

"I'll behave," he said. "It's fine, Rose. Go on with the show." 

* * *

Karina tried to keep her mind on her performance, but between songs it wandered. Had she worded it wrong? Maybe she shouldn't have asked outright, just accepted that he was letting her see something personal and kept her mouth shut about the details. But all she could see was that the only photos he had of a single individual were the ones of his wife, his daughter, Barnaby, and Karina herself. That didn't have to mean anything, and he'd more or less confirmed that it did. Not that there were any of his parents. But still. It seemed to mean something, and even if she couldn't get any more out of him, she'd at least learned that much. 

She tried not to be obvious about looking his way between songs, but one time he caught her, and raised his glass of something fizzy and clear - mineral water, maybe - to her like a toast. She tried to keep her eyes on the keys after that, even if she couldn't help thinking about the photos, the way he'd clammed up. She shouldn't have asked, but it was too late, now. And maybe she'd done the right thing. Maybe Kotetsu needed to be called out on things now and then. 

When she joined him at the end of the set, he had another glass of something she assumed was alcoholic in front of him. "This is only the second of the night," he said. 

"I know. I saw the mineral water earlier." 

"That was actually Sprite," he said. "I know your dark secret, Rose. You're moonlighting in a Coca-Cola establishment." 

She laughed, waving the bartender - Amanda, tonight - over for her iced tea. "Yeah, it's a scandal waiting to happen." 

"Any day now," he agreed, but then he sighed, and took another sip of his drink. "I know what you wanted to ask me about," he said. 

"I didn't really know what to ask, beyond..." She gestured vaguely, then accepted her iced tea with a false smile at Amanda. "They just kind of stood out." 

"Family's not quite right," he said. "But you and Bunny are... you mean a lot to me. Both of you." He took another drink, longer, like that admission had taken a lot out of him. "Bunny saved my daughter's life and I never told him." 

"What? When?" Maybe it wasn't quite a non-sequitur. Or maybe he was trying to tell her he kept secrets and kept people out, like he thought she hadn't noticed. 

"Back when we first partnered up. Not like we were really having heart-to-hearts back then, but I never brought it up. I don't know if he recognized her later or not." 

"Kotetsu..." 

"I know," he said. "I know. I've always done this. Believe it or not, I think I'm better about it with you than with Bunny." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I told you about Mr. Legend," he said. "And what I knew about his powers - I didn't tell Bunny about that, either." He rolled the glass back and forth between his hands slightly. "I feel bad about it, like I shouldn't burden you with any of my problems - but I think that's why I tell you things, too. Because Bunny has enough problems of his own." 

_And my biggest problem was being in love with you, which you didn't even realize._ "I know he'd rather you tell him. Any of your friends would." 

He shook his head. "Only person I told about losing my powers was my brother. And even he had to drag it out of me." 

"You have a brother?" 

He was actually grinning, ruefully, as he met her eyes. "Case in point." 

"You weren't like this with your wife, were you?" She almost immediately regretted it, but he didn't flinch, just shook his head. 

"I told her everything." And then when he lost her, he stopped telling anyone anything. He couldn't put the pieces together himself? Maybe he had, because he added, "It goes back to before I met her, though. It's not like I just started keeping things to myself after..." 

Yeah, but it conveniently meant he didn't let anyone get as close as she had. "I didn't mean to bring her up," Karina said, looking at her hands. "It just kind of slipped out." 

Kotetsu covered her hand with his, squeezed, left it there, and she was too stunned to react. "Rose," he said. "Don't feel bad about that. Back when I had that... breakdown, I guess? It wasn't just talking about her. I had a lot on my mind." 

"It wasn't?" She managed to look over at him, and he shook his head. 

"I miss her all the time," he said. "It doesn't always hit me like it did then. I was... I missed Kaede, and I was feeling guilty about holding Bunny back, and wondering if it was worth it to come back at all. And then I talked to you, and you were just so young, and..." He trailed off. "I'll always miss her," he said. "I'll always love her. But it's not always like that." 

His hand was still on hers. She didn't want to move, to call attention to it. I'm still in love with him, she thought, with a sinking sensation. You can't just decide not to love someone anymore. No wonder he felt that way after ten years with her. "I just didn't want to make you feel that way again," she said. 

He squeezed her hand again. "It wasn't you, Rose. Not your fault. But this is why I keep things to myself," he said. "No one needs to worry about me." 

"This is why you _shouldn't,_ " she said. "If you didn't keep people at arm's length, they wouldn't... they'd know more what to do when you finally do show how you're really feeling. Because eventually it's bound to come out." She turned her hand under his, and to her surprise, he laced his fingers with hers. His hands were rougher than Barnaby's, wider, the fingers shorter. She could feel the wedding band on his finger. 

"That's about what Bunny said, too," he admitted. "I told him about the holding him back thing. He also called me a stupid old man, but that's Bunny." 

"He's right," she said. "You seriously think he wouldn't rather be in the Second League with you than in the First League on his own?" 

"I sorta hoped..." He looked away from her, finished his drink, and fidgeted with the empty glass for a moment. "I figured, if you two got together, he'd be okay without me. I could go back to the Second League, and he'd be in the First where he belongs, and you two wouldn't need a washed-up old man like me." 

"Did you tell him _that?_ " she demanded. He shook his head. "Good, because-- you'd just hurt his feelings and he probably wouldn't even know how to tell you how wrong you were. How can you even _think_ that? Stupid old man is way too mild." Yet she was still holding his hand. "We both _love_ you, you giant dumbass. We wouldn't even have been polite to each other if not for you. You're not going _anywhere_ if either of us has anything to say about it." 

Kotetsu lifted her hand, pressed his lips to the back of it, and let it go. "You're gonna be the best thing that ever happened to him," he said, smiling at her. 

She shook her head. "That's you. I wouldn't even have happened to him if not for you." 

He just kept smiling as he got down from the barstool. "Let's get you home, Rose." 


	10. Chapter 10

The next day, Karina's call bracelet went off around five, just as she'd left a TV studio where she'd recorded an appearance. She sighed as she climbed into the transport, checked in with Agnes - a NEXT who seemed to have super-speed powers was on a thieving spree downtown - and then switched over to a call to Barnaby. "I never even got to change," she complained. 

"At least it won't be too late a night, even with the MVP ceremony and the after-party," he said. "Oh, and Kotetsu wishes you luck." 

"And you don't?" She was ahead of Sky High by fifty points. 

"Of course I do!" 

"Is the criminal even attacking anyone? This seems like a pretty anticlimactic finale. Just one arrest?" And a few scattered points for first on the scene, that kind of thing. The close match might be exciting for the viewers, but not so much fun for the contestants. 

"Speedy must have some accomplices," Kotetsu said. He was trying to get his head into the video screen, but all she could see was his chin. "If she didn't, why get so greedy? It'd be easy enough to grab a few purses and run, but she's swiped cash from people at five ATMs so far, plus... yeah, couple smash-and-grab thefts too." He twisted his head enough to get the left half of his face into the screen. He already had his mask on, of course. 

"Huh," Karina said, pulling up a second screen. Sure enough, there was a still of a young, lanky woman, short hair flying behind her, stuffing something into a large tote bag. "You're right. It'd be a great power for petty theft, but once you get noticed..." 

"Agnes must be banking on a spectacular getaway," Barnaby agreed. 

"Don't waste your powers on tying up the monorail tracks into a pretzel this time, Kotetsu," she said. 

"They're gonna need a new nickname for me," Kotetsu said with a sigh. "Like the, uh..." 

"I doubt they're taking nominations," Barnaby said. 

"Especially not from you," Karina said. "Do tigers even roar?" 

* * *

Sure enough, just before they all went into action, there was an explosion on the freeway - no suspects on the site, so it was probably remotely activated, but with rush-hour traffic still choking the roads, plenty of potential injuries. From the images of it Karina glimpsed on the screen as she tried to loop around to catch the speedster, it looked like it'd be a nightmare getting an ambulance in. And then there was a carjacking, closer to downtown. That'd be for the getaway. She'd have to see who was headed for the explosion site once she had the thief, she decided, but then she heard something about Origami rescuing some civilians. Good for him. Maybe he'd get his points up to four digits. 

Nathan was giving Bison another ride- that had been happening a lot this season, she'd have to ask him what was up - so they were rivaling her for speed, and of course anyone could surprise her by getting some height, but Sky High and Kotetsu would head either for the explosion or the carjacking, so that's where Barnaby would be as well. Pao-lin might still be in the area - but no, Mario said she was pursuing a possible culprit in the freeway bombing. Kotetsu got some points for rescuing a civilian from a car that had nearly fallen, so that answered that. 

Speedy was on the sidewalk now, darting between pedestrians, barely visible, so Karina ditched her bike and rode her ice overhead, keeping her target just to her right, underneath and a bit ahead. She could just about match the thief's speed, but she wasn't used to it - her bosses liked her visible. Out of the corner of her eye, Karina saw a red blur with a dash of olive-green speed by and then peel off to her left, so Nathan and Bison were off to the carjacking. Maybe she should have left the single arrest to them, gone for more points, but at this point she felt almost like she had something to prove. 

"And Sky High rescues a falling civilian! He's neck-and-neck with Blue Rose, and that puts him in the lead for now!" 

_Awesome. Thanks, Mario._ That accounted for everyone, though. She put on another burst of speed, planted herself in front of the thief, and then things seemed to move very slowly for a short time. She saw the fist, felt the impact, and felt herself falling. _Screw catching myself, she's going_ down, she thought, firing at the thief, and then she hit the ground hard. The thief was still moving - what the _hell._ Karina picked herself up and took off, shooting after the woman. Another blast of ice - okay, she could just outrun them. All this to catch a stupid shoplifter. Mario was reporting on the rescue efforts at the bombing site. And from the sound of things, Nathan and Bison were still chasing the carjackers. 

Her guns wouldn't do it, and neither would her traditional missiles. Karina focused on the runner - she was in good shape but she was still sweating, a little. There was humidity in the air. Karina could try to focus it around her, and-- she had a _gun?_ She was too fast, so all Karina could do was pull all the water she could in front of herself in the thickest shield she could manage, and freeze the moisture in the air around the runner. 

When she opened her eyes, the shield had a starburst crack where the bullet had struck it, and the NEXT with the gun... was encased in ice. _"And Blue Rose makes the arrest!"_ Mario shouted, sounding almost as stunned as she felt. She dispersed the shield, walked up to her frozen target, and put an extra chunk of ice into the space where a pulled trigger would have gone. She could hear the sirens approaching from behind. Time to make the handoff and head for the bombing site, then. 

"No cutie escape?" Kotetsu greeted her when she reached the traffic snarl on the overpass. 

"No time for it," Karina said. Sky High was still here, helping get civilians to the ambulances that were parked on the median, no longer racking up points for it - they weren't in danger, just needing assistance - and she felt a bit guilty for her points focus. But that was her job, right? All their jobs. "I wonder what all of this was about," she said. "Or which part was meant as a distraction from the other part." He just shrugged. "Anything I can do?" she asked. 

"Maybe shore up some of the structural damage," Kotetsu suggested, so she coasted down below to take a look. 

* * *

When they'd finally gotten one lane of the freeway open again, they got out of the way to let the real emergency personnel take over, and in Karina's case, to get acquainted with the medics. Nathan and Bison had apprehended the carjackers, Bison managing to rescue the driver who'd been taken hostage while Nathan got the arrest. Karina was Queen of Heroes for the season, and she was going to have to have to accept the MVP award with a black eye, it seemed. 

"I'm _fine,_ " she was reassuring everyone. "My nose isn't broken. I have good makeup artists." It was kind of annoying to have Barnaby and Kotetsu fussing, because she kind of wanted to feel sorry for herself rather than reassure them. She was marketed on her appearance so much that face injuries could be a serious problem, and she was not looking forward to her next meeting with Robert. 

"A broken nose isn't the end of the world." Kotetsu was obviously trying to be reassuring, but he hadn't been marketed on looks at any point she could remember. Whatever she might think of that decision, it meant he didn't think twice about scarring. 

"It can be pretty significant when you're endorsing cosmetics," Barnaby said, so she didn't have to. 

The medic passed her an ice pack, which she held to her eye. "I can make my own," she said. "Or keep this one cold." 

"Convenient," the medic agreed, packing up the supplies. "Remember not to take any aspirin, it can make the bruising worse." 

"Honey, are you all right?" her father asked, and she jumped. 

"Daddy, how'd you get here?" 

"I had a meeting that ran late at the Kronos building. I was about a mile off from the explosion." 

"You let Mom know you're okay, right?" Jeez, she hadn't even thought he'd be near downtown. He nodded. 

"What about you, though?" he asked. "There was gunfire, wasn't there?" 

"I blocked it," she said, feeling pretty proud of herself. A lot more dignified than Cutie-Escaping every time the guns came out. 

"How'd she even manage to dodge the ice?" Kotetsu asked. "From the replays it looked like she just turned and shot at you about half a second before you froze her." 

"I was trying something new-- oh, sorry," she said. "Guys, this is my dad, Eric Lyle. Daddy, Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr." He'd _probably_ know who they were, since Mom had Hero TV on all the time, but they all shook hands anyway. She distinctly heard Barnaby call him "sir." "I was trying to freeze the moisture around her rather than firing at her, since she was too fast for projectiles. But I think she felt it getting cold." 

"Good idea," Barnaby said. "Against someone without superspeed, it ought to be much safer." 

"I still think you need armor," her father said. She didn't _think_ she'd rolled her eyes, but he continued, "I know, I know, but parents worry." 

"It's true," Kotetsu said. "Part of the job description." 

"If you absolutely insist I'll bring it up again," she said. "Robert's going to be mad at me anyway, so I might as well just go for broke." 

"What's to be mad about?" Kotetsu asked. "You just made MVP!" Her father nodded vehemently. 

She counted off on her fingers. "Got hit by the crook I was chasing, skipped my catchphrase, might have been moving fast enough to obscure the logos..." 

"Surely they realize some of this is part of being a hero," Barnaby said. 

"I don't know. He always says he's getting complaints from higher up." 

"No offense, Rose, I think your manager's kind of a jackass." 

"I've been saying that for two years!" her father exclaimed. "Even if she needs the..." he gestured vaguely, "the Blue Rose _look,_ I'd think they could work in some safety features." 

She narrowly restrained herself from saying _They could hide them in push-up inserts._ "At least some kind of informational system like we have in our helmets," Barnaby suggested. 

"A visor or something," her father agreed. 

"At least she's got good control of her powers," Kotetsu said to her father, reassuringly, like she wasn't even there. "My daughter's powers..." 

"Oh, your daughter's a NEXT?" her father asked Kotetsu with interest. Karina looked at Barnaby, who just smiled. 

"Can I get you anything? Something to drink? It looks like they may be a while." 

"Ya think?" Kotetsu was making some kind of crunching noise to describe Kaede's powers - she must have been breaking things with them at some point - and he father was laughing. "I wouldn't mind some bottled water." He left for the "concession table" - it consisted of bottles of water, the obligatory Pepsi, and urns of coffee and hot water for tea. 

"--all these pots and pans sticking to her, who even knows where she found this NEXT, so that's how we found out she picks up new powers when she touches anyone. So it's pretty unpredictable. I mean, Sky High touched her on the shoulder, she was fully dressed and he was wearing gloves, so she could brush up against someone or hit them and get their powers. No way would that work for a hero." 

Barnaby returned with two bottles of water, opening one for himself. She took a long drink. "I wonder if I can keep cold on my eye without an icepack? That way maybe I can minimize the damage but not look like the walking wounded at the after-party." 

"On the bright side, at least anyone who might object to facial damage will be able to see up close that it's not serious," Barnaby said. "With the possible exception of your manager himself." 

"True." She heard her father saying her name, and prayed it wasn't the swimming pool story again. 

"He's really that bad?" Barnaby asked. 

"Yeah. He doesn't like me to give rescue points to other heroes, either. Even if it's for a storyline. Thinks it damages the brand." 

"It might be wise to demand a new manager the next time your contract's up for re-negotiation," he suggested. 

"Just two more years!" 

"Seriously?" 

"We went for the long contract because I was so young," she said. "The idea was that they'd have to put some resources into training and promoting me if they committed long-term, in case I didn't do too well in my rookie season." 

"I can see the reasoning, but it's a shame under the circumstances." 

"Hey," Kotetsu said. "Maybe somebody could buy out your contract, like Apollon did mine." 

"What?" She'd figured he wasn't listening, probably distracted by embarrassing stories about her childhood. 

"That's a thought," her father agreed. 

"I'll call Ben." Kotetsu tapped at his PDA. 

"I'll leave you to it," her father said. "You have the awards ceremony, right? I'll have to see if I can make it home before it airs." 

"On city streets?" Kotetsu asked. "That should be fun." 

"Oh, my wife will be recording it no matter when I stumble in," he said, then kissed Karina on the forehead. "Congratulations, sweetie. Your mother and I are very proud." 

She tried not to be too embarrassed. Every single person here was a huge fan of being affectionate with parents, for different reasons. "Thanks, Daddy." 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that no one is wearing any kind of ridiculous red ruffled tuxedo. Barnaby isn't allowed to select his own clothes when there will be sponsors around, or something.

The MVP ceremony was the same as ever. No new rookies, just the usual highlights of the season, the rankings for the Second League and then the First - Barnaby walked away with the second-league MVP award, of course, with a victory margin that was kind of disgusting - and speeches from Agnes and Acting OBC President Lloyds about Hero TV's efforts to blah blah justice blah like they'd been doing at every official Hero TV function since Maverick was exposed. She understood why they kept doing it for the audiences, but she had to stand onstage without fidgeting the whole time. To make matters worse, she was flanked by Sky High, who listened to each and every speech about justice with his eyes glistening, apparently completely sincere, on her right, and Nathan on her left, making it incredibly difficult not to whisper to him. 

The afterparty at least gave her a chance to _finally_ get out of costume, even if it was just to change into a different wig she hadn't been sweating into, have the Blue Rose nails put on her hands, and don a dress and heels. Her floating ice pack seemed to be working well enough - it was visible if you knew where to look, but Nathan hadn't been able to see it at a distance, and it wasn't rubbing off her makeup, so she looked more or less unharmed. Not bad at all, especially since everyone would have seen her take the punch. 

But the afterparty was, if anything, more tedious than her own graduation had been. At least there she'd been able to swap seats after they'd walked so she and Jane could talk while it went on. Here, she was stuck smiling and laughing with the Titan president and board members, the Pepsi representative, the Suntory rep, someone from Aurora Cosmetics, someone else from Aphrodite, and a rep from Galatea Toys who wanted to talk about the Blue Rose doll prototype she hadn't had a chance to see yet. She laughed at each and every joke they made about her encounter out there, about Cutie Escapes and catch phrases and her storyline with Barnaby. She posed for pictures with most of them, and signed a few trading cards, smiling the whole time, even when the Galatea guy had one for his daughter and then, with a wink, "one for me." At least it didn't have a phone number or something on it. She nursed a champagne flute of Pepsi Nex, wishing she could just have some water or something, and tried to remember to keep her eye cold, and barely got a chance to talk to anyone she liked, because time spent talking amongst themselves was time they weren't _mingling._

She did get to talk to Natasha, for a while, which was nice. Pao-lin had really hit the manager jackpot, even if she was always complaining about being told to act a little cuter. At least Pao-lin got to wear pants. Natasha promised to pencil in an apartment-hunting afternoon, and they talked about price ranges - this was what her dad had meant about a budget, she didn't really know what was reasonable. 

"A third of your monthly income is sort of the rule of thumb," Natasha said, "though for you girls I think we should set the bar a tiny bit lower than that." 

"Yeah, no kidding," Karina said faintly. "I'd kind of like to have something that won't completely blow my cover if I have civilian friends over." 

"You could just tell them you're a trust fund baby," Natasha suggested, with a smile. "We can talk more at the time. Have you had a chance to eat?" 

Karina usually avoided eating at these events. She didn't want another round of tabloid speculation on her weight and diet. But she was kind of starving, so she said, "Not really," and let herself be shooed over to the table where Pao-lin pointed out the ha gao. 

"We eat a lot better at these since you joined up, Kid," Kotetsu commented, somehow materializing by them. He was wearing a tux, because even official events had their compensations. 

"Glad I could help," Pao-lin commented around a mouthful of dumpling. "Steamed things last better on a buffet, I guess." 

"They just added it the year you two started as a welcome thing, I think," Kotetsu explained as Karina tried to maneuver her dumpling from plate to mouth without spilling her drink, "but it was such a hit we've had it every year since." He rescued her Pepsi glass just as she felt it slipping. 

"Ugh, I need to go," Pao-lin sighed, but not before she moved over a few steps to snag a final pan-fried dumpling. "You talked to Natasha about scheduling, Karina, right?" 

"Yeah," Karina said. "Good luck!" 

"Thanks," Pao-lin said, sighing again as she trudged off. 

"Something up?" Kotetsu asked. 

"She's getting, um... old enough that her bosses are starting to want her to show some more skin," Karina said. It had a lot less to do with age than cup size, really. "I overheard them talking about it earlier. Knowing _my_ bosses, she's going to get a repetition of it all night, even if she doesn't have to go through with it." 

"What? No way! She's just a little kid! Barely any older than Kaede!" 

Karina debated whether to point out that Pao-lin had started heroing at about a year older than Kaede's current age. She settled on, "She's the age I was when I started with this costume." 

"Sometimes I feel really old," Kotesu said pitifully. 

"There, there," she said, reclaiming her Pepsi flute from him. 

"How are you holding up?" he asked. "You kinda looked like you could use something stronger than Pepsi." 

"Alcohol can make the bruising worse, can't it? I'm pretty sure the medics told me not to drink," she said. "But I'm fine. My eye doesn't even really _hurt,_ I'm just worried about the aftereffects." 

"Got it," he said. "I guess you're almost used to being Queen of Heroes now, right?" 

"Kind of? It doesn't really change the amount of attention I get," she said. She'd been a front-runner her whole career so far. 

"I guess everyone takes these things better than I do," Kotetsu said. "Bunny's great at them." She looked over the direction he was facing, where Barnaby was chatting amiably with a group of four, one wearing a press pass, the others clearly representing sponsors. She remembered what he'd said about acting. 

"That doesn't mean he likes them. I wonder if there's some way to save him," Karina said. 

" _You_ maybe could," he said. "The media lady spent about two minutes with me and she was done, and the sponsors, well..." 

The reporter was the only one she'd thought she could peel away. But of course Tiger and Barnaby in the first league would be the story the reporter was after; articles about Karina would mostly be retrospectives by the usual hero columnists, who reported on the standings and analyzed performance like sports writers. They didn't need interviews for that. "What companies are the sponsor reps from?" she asked, but then she realized the other thing she could do. "If I just drag him off, it looks like stealing your thunder." 

"Nah," he said. "Well, depends on how you do it, I guess." 

"You're a huge help," she said, tossing back her Pepsi like it was a shot of something. "I guess there's only one way to find out how it plays." 

He was grinning. "Need any more liquid courage?" 

"Don't make me put ice down your neck," she said, handing her glass and plate to a passing waiter. She took a deep breath, and headed over towards Barnaby. _You're Blue Rose right now,_ she told herself. _You're the ice queen of Stern Bild who leaves everyone begging for more or whatever Mario always says. Your heels do not give you any trouble no matter how thick the carpet is._ She felt the way she walked change to something slower and slinkier as she got back into character. _You have Barnaby Brooks Jr. wrapped around your little finger, and you aren't distracted by the fact he looks hot in a tux,_ she told herself. _You have really interesting ideas about using your powers in bed. You totally own some kind of whip. Maybe with thorns on it._ She heard the chatter die as she neared the knot of sponsors around Barnaby. 

"Blue Rose," he said. "I was looking for you earlier." 

He was a huge help too. She put one hand on her hip, trying to think - she needed to come up with something domineering but tactful to say, and she didn't have a door to lean sexily against. "You forgot to congratulate me," she said, draping her other hand over his shoulder. 

"Exactly," he said. "If you'll excuse me a moment, everyone..." 

To a murmur of goodbyes and best wishes, they made their way towards a window, Barnaby's hand hovering near but not quite touching the small of her back. She glanced back to see the group dispersing. Poor Kotetsu seemed to have inherited the reporter, but maybe he wouldn't mind the attention. He'd said something about Kaede wanting to see him on the show more. News coverage might suffice. 

" _Thank_ you," Barnaby murmured, devoutly. "I'm incredibly rusty at this sort of event." 

"You're welcome," she said, automatically. They stopped near a window, at some distance from the nearest guests. "You looked like you were doing fine, though." 

"And the... I guess I never really saw the Blue Rose persona as being so, um...." 

He was blushing, she realized. _Well, that means I'm doing it right,_ she thought of saying, but Blue Rose wouldn't let him off the hook. 

"Shall I make you pick an adjective?" she asked, smiling slightly. 

"Please don't," he said, but she just waited, keeping an eye on him. "Sexy?" he finally managed, blushing to the roots of his hair. 

"I'll accept it," she said. That was the general idea behind it, after all. "I didn't know you liked that." 

"Neither did I," he admitted. "Until you turned the full force of it on me. As just a generalized thing..." And she hadn't realized _she'd_ liked it either till just now, but that had been... she'd liked it. She kissed him lightly, figuring at this point they might as well go for it before Agnes choreographed everything for them. 

"Is your black eye doing all right?" he asked. "I could feel the cold just now." 

"Like I told Kotetsu, it doesn't really hurt. I think she sort of got me a glancing blow on the cheek. I just want to minimize the bruising." 

"Perfectly understandable," he said, before she kissed him again. 

* * *

Eventually they were rousted out of their corner by Nathan. Barnaby was kissing her neck when he suddenly yelped in surprise, which was pretty disorienting; by the time she opened her eyes, Nathan had his arms wrapped around Barnaby from behind, though she suspected he'd opened with the usual butt-grab. "You didn't invite me, darlings?" he asked, practically nibbling on Barnaby's ear, which was about as close as he'd ever get to chaperoning anyone, probably. Then he dabbed some of the blue off Barnaby's face with a hanky, touched up her lipstick - of course he had blue lipstick on his person somewhere, she didn't know why it even surprised her anymore - and dispatched Barnaby to help Kotetsu with something. 

"You ruin all my fun," she pouted. 

"Nonsense. We just have a business proposition to discuss." 

"We do?" 

"Kotetsu's scheming to get Apollon to buy out your contract." 

"He was _thinking_ about it. I don't know if he really schemes." 

Nathan waved that away airily. "So I have a competing possibility for you. Just a concept, you understand, I'd still need to go through the same board-of-directors hoops Apollon would, but... who's to say Tiger and Barnaby need to be the only hero duo?" 

She stopped dead, narrowly missing a waiter. "Wait. Seriously? But you and Bison work so well together." 

"True. He's all defense, I'm all offense, we complement each other... not in color schemes, mind you, but that could be arranged. But there's also a certain flair to a fire and ice team, don't you think?" 

She wondered if Kronos had refused to sell Bison's contract. No, surely not. He didn't do that well, though teaming up unofficially with Nathan had helped him. And he'd be a lot more of a bargain than she would. So she was probably the first choice. "You may have a point. So, what, would I be 'Red Rose'?" 

"That would depend on the sponsors," he said. "But think about it, would you?" 

She thought about it for most of the evening. He introduced her to a few of the Helios board, and she was so off-guard she actually mentioned hating her catchphrase to one of them before she caught herself. Fortunately the woman just laughed and agreed it could be better, and Karina was able to get herself back into her party persona. It was sort of like playing Blue Rose, but polite. To her surprise, several of the people Nathan introduced her to wanted to talk about the rankings, how she'd "played" - it took a few repetitions before she realized they meant it in the sense of playing a football game, not in the sense of playing a role or a song - and she stumbled through some discussion of that. 

"I'm lucky enough to have powers that let me immobilize a large area or group at once," she said. "Like stopping a group of criminals, or saving a group of civilians. It lets me accumulate points very quickly, as opposed to a steadier flow like Sky High's." She wondered if this was part of Nathan's reasoning. His powers had limited non-deadly utility, for all his creativity with them, and she typically outscored him. Though, yes, he'd care about the style points too. They'd make for some very eye-catching posters. 

Finally, though, the corporate types began to call it a night, and the remaining heroes - Pao-lin and Natasha had already gone home - gathered at one end of the room. Some of the staff were already starting to clear off the refreshment tables. Kotetsu and Sky High were talking happily with a couple of the second league heroes, Origami had taken off his helmet and hit the buffet at last, and Bison was, for once, not complaining about Nathan's hand on his rear, whether because he'd drunk enough not to care - she wasn't sure _how,_ with his helmet, but maybe he wasn't averse to getting his champagne through a straw - or just because the crowd had mostly cleared out. 

"This is his favorite part," Barnaby said behind her. She leaned back into him, not even needing to ask who he meant. 

"You never really got close with the second league?" 

"I had nothing against any of them, but I'm afraid I seemed standoffish to them." 

"It couldn't just be that you _were_ standoffish. You just seemed that way." 

"I... tried to make conversation..." 

"I'm just teasing," she said, though she hadn't been entirely. The fact he'd been a little defensive was proof of how much he'd improved since they met, though. "I think this is everyone's favorite part." 

"Even mine," he said. "Though I may enjoy the attention more than most do." 

Karina tried to hide her smirk. Hiding it from him was easy, but not necessarily from everyone else. "You might," she finally admitted. "Possibly. A little." 

"I sense faint traces of sarcasm," he said, slipping his arms around her waist. 

"Nooo. You must have had too much to drink." 

He nuzzled her neck, and she was giggling as Nathan chimed in with a fond-sounding, "Honestly, you two." 

"Aw, give 'em a break, they're young," Kotetsu said. "Rose, have you met Ben?" He gestured to a smiling, moon-faced black man at his side. 

"Briefly?" she said, slipping away from Barnaby. "I remember seeing you before, at the Justice Tower." The only person in unbloodied casual clothes in their circle of costumes, armor, and lab coats. He was in a suit now, though he'd clearly loosened his tie as soon as he could. 

"Right," Ben said, his smile broadening. "I'm surprised you remembered. Ben Jackson - I manage these two," he said, shaking her hand. She grinned back, liking him already. 

"I don't know if I caught your name at the time," she said, "let alone that you were the Ben Kotetsu and Barnaby kept mentioning." 

"Well, I'm sure you know what Kotetsu has in mind," Ben said. "No guarantees, but I'll see what I can do." She smiled broadly but less genuinely, wondering what she was supposed to do in the midst of all this corporate intrigue. Nathan knew about Kotetsu's plan, so it was only fair to let the Apollon side know, right? "Good meeting you, Blue Rose, and congratulations." 

She thanked him, but Sky High had overheard, and apparently decided he'd been remiss. "Congratulations, Ms. Blue! And again, congratulations!" He wasn't the last, of course, and she kept fielding more congratulations as she made her way out to where all the limos were waiting. 

Outside, though, she stuck around, watching the others leave, helmets tucked under their arms or tossed in the backseat (except for Sky High, who wore his faithfully) and the limos roll away. Nathan went with Bison. Hmmm. "I should probably mention," she said to Kotetsu. "Nathan's interested in buying out my contract, too." 

"Good!" Kotetsu said. "I suggested it to him." 

"Kotetsu..." Barnaby, standing behind him, had winced. She wasn't sure whether she liked the idea of a flattering bidding war for her contract or not, but it hadn't been a very wise move for an Apollon employee. "Why?" 

"You need better bosses," he said. "And veto rights on your costume." 

"That wasn't exactly what I meant," she said. It was late, and it had been a very long day, and Barnaby and Kotetsu were both wearing tuxedos. 

"I'll try to explain it to him later," Barnaby said. "You need to go home, Karina. You look exhausted." He steered her towards a limo, and leaned down to kiss her as she got in. "Congratulations, your majesty." 

"Hey, king and queen of heroes," Kotetsu said, behind him. "And congrats, Rose. In case I missed saying it." 

"He's not the king, he's the prince consort," she said. She caught Barnaby frowning as the chauffeur closed the door, and she grinned at him. He finally smiled back. She watched Kotetsu sling an arm around his neck and walk him towards another limo, as her own pulled away from the curb. 

She was pretty sure she'd be leaving makeup smeared on the seats. But that was OBC's problem, not hers. 


	12. Chapter 12

The summer seemed like a wonderful free expanse that night, and swiftly evaporated the minute it was underway. Things that had been postponed because of her schedule all came due at once - she had a video to shoot, print and TV ads for makeup and skin cleanser and jeans and winter coats - in the middle of July, thank God she had her own air conditioning built in, though it made the other models eye her resentfully - and a series of summer concerts. She'd planned to have Nathan teach her how to drive, but obviously that wasn't happening anytime soon. 

"I don't know how anyone learns to drive here," Kotetsu said, over takeout at Barnaby's place. Karina had claimed her throne, with the guys seated at her feet. "Back where I'm from, you'd just find some back roads no one ever used and practice there. Nobody to mind if you were going five miles an hour." 

Karina had always assumed Oriental Town was really a town. "So you lived out in the country?" 

"Not exactly, but it wasn't like Stern Bild." 

"What was it like?" she asked. She was picking bits of tomato out of her salad, feeling a bit sorry for herself. 

"Like... I don't know, it's just what I was used to, and... Rose, just because you're dating Bunny doesn't mean you need to eat rabbit food." 

"Some people _like_ salad," Barnaby protested. 

"She's dissecting it!" 

"I don't like raw tomatoes," she said. "And I'm forbidden to eat carbs. I gained three pounds. I blame you guys and all your restaurants and your bakeries." 

"Three pounds? You sure you didn't just forget to take off your Blue Rose nails before you got on the scale?" Kotetsu asked. "And who's telling you what you can eat?" 

"Who do you think?" She glared at her salad. 

"Well, the suit demonstration's in, what, two weeks? Sure you can't just eat real food and stall him till then?" 

The suit demonstration at Apollon, and the meeting at Helios. She had a feeling the Helios suits wouldn't be very forgiving of minor weight gain either. It wasn't like Nathan's concealed much for all the skin it covered. "I do want to lose the weight. I'm just grumpy about the timeline Robert set up." 

"...three pounds." 

"It's true, Karina, it's not noticeable to the naked eye." 

"I'm short!" Karina protested. "Three pounds is more on me than it is on either of you." 

"Well you don't _look_ like you gained weight, that's all, and..." Kotetsu lapsed into muttering about rabbit food and evil managers. She rested a stocking-clad foot on Barnaby's shoulder. They'd just come back from a fairly elaborate succession of bank robberies, the biggest, most telegenic crime of the year so far, and they'd all racked up some points, including three arrests for her. Chopped-up bits of tomato in her salad or no, it had been an okay day, and she didn't exactly mind Kotetsu's outrage on her behalf either. Barnaby passed her a slice of his garlic bread, and she surveyed the contraband for a moment before she took a bite. "That's better," Kotetsu said. 

"Mmhmm," she agreed. 

* * *

Around eleven, Kotetsu left, making a few cracks about getting Cinderella home before midnight. Neither of them said anything to the contrary, but she'd started leaving things at Barnaby's place - accidentally at first, and then because she'd be back there soon enough anyway - and had every intention of spending the night. Karina hadn't left her throne, and she grinned at Barnaby as he approached, taking off his glasses. 

He leaned over to kiss her, and she tugged at his belt buckle, pulling him in closer. When she tipped her head back, he kissed down her neck. She undid his belt, feeling his hands on her hips, fingers rubbing a nipple through bra and dress. His tongue flickered against her earlobe and her breath caught; he rested on one knee between her legs as she pulled his shirt off. 

The last time he'd gone down on her while she was sitting in this chair, she'd asked him afterwards if he was worried about the upholstery. "It's worth it," he'd said, blushing, so she felt no compunction about lifting her hips and wriggling out of her underwear. He stroked her bare leg above the stocking, nudging the skirt up. "You're so subtle, it's hard to tell what you want me to do," he said, breath tickling her ear. 

"Smartass," she grumbled, as he knelt on the floor. 

He always explored first, cool fingers parting heated flesh, before he lowered his face to her and she pretty much stopped thinking as his tongue danced over her nerves. The first time, he'd been too tentative, but they'd figured it out, and now she was gasping even before he slid his finger in and crooked it the way he'd found the last time. It wasn't _exactly_ like fireworks, but it was close. 

After she'd caught her breath, he stood, holding out a hand to help her up. "Give me a minute so I can remember how to walk," she said, a lot less resistant to massaging his ego than she used to be. Of course, he was earning it. 

"Want me to carry you?" 

She grabbed his hand and pulled herself out of the chair. "Why is that your solution to everything?" 

"Because it annoys you," he said, brushing her hair aside to kiss the back of her neck. She shivered, leaning back into him. 

"You'll never get me to the bedroom at this rate." 

"That's a shame, because that's where the condoms are." 

"It is _about time,_ " she said. 

In the bedroom, she peeled off her dress as he finished taking off his pants, then pushed him down onto the bed as she unfastened her bra. She left the stockings; he might not admit it, but she could tell he liked them. He was already hard, and he shuffled through the box of condoms as she climbed onto the bed. 

"Should I just put one on now?" he asked. 

She studied his face for a moment. "Barnaby, are you too nervous for this?" 

"Of course not!" Not that he'd denied being nervous. To be fair, she was too. It wasn't like they hadn't done plenty of other things, and moving on to intercourse was mostly symbolic, but, well... symbolic meaning wasn't nothing. 

"You held off on buying the condoms for a long time," she said. 

"I... actually bought them a while ago," he admitted. "I just didn't let you know right away." 

Until he was ready, hopefully. "So you're sure about this?" 

He kissed her softly. "I love you, Karina. I'm sure." 

"Oh, you don't have to say that to get me into bed, sweetie. I'm already here." She wondered almost immediately if that had been a mistake, if he'd take it the wrong way. 

He didn't seem to, though, as he deepened the kiss, his hands stroking up and down her sides. She ran her hands up his chest, flicking a thumb against one nipple just to hear his breathing change a little; it seemed kind of unfair that he never made much noise when they had sex, considering how vocal she'd turned out to be. "Yes," she said, when they broke the kiss, "you should put on a condom." 

When she guided him into her, she took a moment to get used to the sensation, and he asked, sounding worried, "I can't read that expression at all. Does it hurt?" 

"It's just... different," she said. "I'm not used to having something this size in there." There might be a faint burn, like a stretching muscle. 

"I wonder what that's like," he said, and she poked his chest. 

"That was a _single finger_ and I didn't hear you complaining at the time." 

"It wasn't a complaint. I just meant that it was a very unusual sensation." 

He shifted beneath her, and she leaned forward, supporting herself against his chest, then the mattress, and rocked her hips, trying to figure out her rhythm. Just when she thought she had it, he started moving, and it took him a moment to match to her movements. "Okay," she said, "I don't have to make you stop," and he laughed. It was starting to feel _good,_ now, and his hands were moving, on her hips, legs, back, cupping her breasts, and then one came to rest between her legs. 

"Good idea," she gasped, though she wasn't sure she'd be able to climax like this - the sensation was too different, even if she was starting to like it. But his hand on her clit was sending sparks through her, and she could feel the familiar tension building up again. When she opened her eyes, she saw he was watching her, and then his eyes squeezed shut and he was gasping, head halfway thrown back. She could feel the goosebumps on his shoulders, but his hand was still moving on her, and she pressed against his fingers until she felt it give and finally sagged against him, still tingling. 

"Twice?" he asked hopefully, as he was working the condom off. 

"Don't get too smug," she said affectionately. 

When he climbed back into the bed and curled around her, though, he said "I did mean it, you know. I love you." 

She stroked his hair. He had the most amazing hair, silky and faintly bouncy. "I didn't hurt your feelings, did I? I was just..." She knew she was falling for him. She recognized how it felt. She just wasn't sure she was ready to say it, wasn't totally sure she was past the falling stage, and it was... it was considerably scarier being in love with him, someone who didn't have a million excuses not to be in love with her. "It was just a joke." 

"I know," he said. "I just wanted you to know I was serious. I wouldn't have... I find it very difficult to trust people beyond a certain point, and somehow you're one of the few." 

She wrapped her arms around him, tighter than before. "I hope I don't do anything to screw it up," she said. 

He squeezed back, and brushed his lips over her collarbone. "If I could keep giving Kotetsu second chances, in the emotional state I was in two years ago, I think you're fairly safe." 

"Good." She wasn't going to say anything about her falling-asleep arm until it went completely numb. She wasn't going to make him move for anything. 

She didn't say "I love you" into his hair until she was about ninety percent sure he was asleep, though. Maybe it'd be less scary in the morning. 

* * *

Karina woke up that morning to find Barnaby sitting on the edge of the bed, so his sitting up had probably been what woke her. She looked at his back in the morning light - the sprinkling of unaccountable freckles across his shoulderblades, the almost-invisible fuzz at his lower back - and then reached out to touch his hip. 

"Sorry," he said, smiling at her. "I didn't mean to wake you. Are you okay?" 

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, sitting up. Jeez, he looked beautiful like this, all relaxed and happy. "Um... are you? Since you asked." 

His smile widened. "I feel amazing, honestly." 

"And smug." 

He seemed to give that a bit of thought. "Yes, that too." 

"I love you," she said, almost laughing, and he kissed her. Despite the mutual morning breath. 

It took them quite a while to actually leave the bed, even if they were trying not to breathe directly on each other. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The designs in this chapter are derived from sketches by the prompt OP, [here](http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/047/4/2/more_blue_rose__by_dev_chieftain-d4pzlu4.jpg) and [here](http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/044/4/3/sketchdump_by_dev_chieftain-d4podo5.jpg).

No one seemed to notice anything different about her, except for Nathan, which wasn't that surprising. He promised her some concept sketches for a Helios costume, and then they got called out in the middle of the day for a bank robbery. 

So she had no idea what to expect as she headed into Helios headquarters for the meeting the next week. It felt weird to be there in her Blue Rose headwear and a perfectly ordinary outfit - she'd chosen the blue dress she'd worn on her birthday - wearing a guest ID on a lanyard. Normally when she was in the Helios offices, which wasn't often, she was trailing in Nathan's wake, and her guest ID had her real name on it. Or if she was Blue Rose, she had the full costume. 

Karina was a little surprised to find that Nathan was the only one in the conference room. And Nathan was also wearing a button-down shirt, which didn't even sparkle, and tie, which did. The tie was at least pink, and he was fully made-up, but she was so used to seeing him at times when he was just "dropping into the office for a second" that it had never occurred to her he must sometimes spend quite a while in it. "The designer's not here?" she asked. 

"Sweetie. Are you underestimating me again? _I'm_ the designer." He waved a handful of papers at her. "Helios used to have one, for whoever they were sponsoring before - the Firecracker, wasn't it? - but she didn't believe in capes, so I fired her." 

"Your cape is pretty epic," she admitted. "So what have you got?" 

"Take a look at these while I set up the presentation," he said, handing them to her. She sank into a cushy chair that seemed to be real leather, and shuffled through the sheets, glancing at each before starting over at the beginning. 

"Are these feathers?" she asked. 

He glanced over for a second. "That's the concept. The final version - well, think of what my suit looks like." 

"Right," she said, not wanting to remind him about that heated discussion they'd had when she admitted she didn't really see the chest pattern as feathery. She could see the general Phoenix theme, especially the beak effect with his cowl, but the chest pattern just didn't look that feathery and she was not going to spend that much time contemplating the codpiece. "And this one's... is that a cape?' 

"Here," he said, and holo-screens sprung up around the projector in the middle of the table. The one closest to her showed a 3D model with roughly her measurements in an outfit that didn't look _too_ different from her current one. The blue was a different shade. 

"Oh, that's the blue from your outfit!" 

"Yes!" He started typing, but she was still studying the model. The headgear was around the same, but there was a visor over the face. Probably for some of the informational systems she knew the guys had - Kotetsu and Barnaby and Sky High - but she'd check. The skirt arced out from her hips, looking like a lot of drapey fabric that might just get in the way in action. She didn't do _too_ much punching and kicking, but she did a fair amount of acrobatics, not to mention dancing onstage. The bodice didn't have the cut-out, which could be very nice, and had a pattern going up the center with the red, orange, and gold of Nathan's outfit. The model of him turned up next to her, for comparison. She reached out to the UI on the bottom of the screen to rotate herself - the cape on the model was similar to Nathan's, though the scalloped bottom was pointier - like icicles rather than feathers or flames - and when he pushed another button on the keyboard, it animated. Blues and whites, of course. She realized she was grinning. So was he. 

"Admit it, that's just too _cool_ to pass up." 

"True," she said. "It's not built into the costume like yours?" 

"So you can take it off onstage. Think about your entrances. Walk on wearing it, take it off for a couple of your royal attendants to take away..." Yes, she could see it. Easily. 

"How would the skirt model work?" The computer version still looked kind of feathery. "I worry about the final version looking like a tutu." 

"Aw, you didn't want to be a ballerina when you were five? That was just me?" 

"No, I totally did, but it doesn't fit Blue Rose at all." 

"Fair," he said. "We'll see. I wanted to keep the general silhouette but ditch the vines." 

She nodded. "The visor, that's for the computer setup?" 

"Exactly. I'd been looking into ways to add something like that to mine, but yours is much easier." 

"So that other one..." 

"There are several others!" He took over, running her through a couple of alternatives; she offended him by describing one as "Vegas showgirl," but then he pulled up the other costume she'd meant, proudly, all offense forgotten. 

The cape in this one attached to her arms, more like very long sleeves than anything. The sleeves themselves, all blue, covered her whole arms - this outfit covered a lot, really, with only a small cutout on her chest. The bodice had a recognizable ice-crystal pattern. She rotated it, and shot a look at Nathan, who was smiling serenely. "I notice this still doesn't cover my ass," she said. 

"You've gotta work something, sweetie," he said. "You're still Blue Rose, even if Pepsi and Suntory pull out and we have to change your name." 

"Oh, fine..." The boots were about what she was used to. He'd concentrated the flame colors on the headdress and the trim of her bodice. "Is that a peacock feather?" 

"If it's too showgirl for you it can go," he snipped. 

"I'm sorry! It was the first thing that popped into my head. Obviously I should have waited for the second." 

"Well, if I'm the phoenix, it makes sense for a blue-themed partner to be a peacock. _I_ thought so, anyway." 

"It actually does..." She frowned, thinking. "Nathan, what if I end up accepting the Apollon offer? Are you going to be offended?" 

"Oh, honey. Of course not! A decision like this is about a lot more than what you think of my costume designs, or your partners. And you've got a pretty good reason to choose Apollon." 

"I dunno," she said. "I mean... I don't want to force Kotetsu and Barnaby to work with me. And I'm _used_ to working alone. It might be better for me to go here, where we'd both be working on teamwork from the ground up." 

" _Or_ you could turn down all the offers, wait for me to scoop Bison up from Kronos, and approach them. You could pretty much write your own contract under the circumstances." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Under certain circumstances. Around the beginning of their fiscal year, at least." 

"And when's that? No, I want to get away from Titan. If nothing else, I think things could get pretty unpleasant there if they knew I was trying to quit and then I didn't follow through." 

* * *

The Apollon meeting couldn't come soon enough, because Barnaby and Kotetsu had both seen something relating to a suit for her - design documents or a prototype or a model or _something_ \- and they wouldn't tell her anything about it except the fact that they _had_ seen it, because Barnaby still loved to torment her. He wouldn't talk even when she tickled him. "Oh my God," Kotetsu said, delightedly, sipping a beer and watching. "He's ticklish?" 

"Yes," she said, as Barnaby gasped "No!" 

"I don't think I've ever seen him laugh that hard," Kotetsu said wonderingly. "How did I never know about this?" 

Probably because no one had ever tickled him before. "Because you're not a sadist," Barnaby said, then convulsed when she got his side again. "A little help here? I'm defending our secrets!" 

"Oh, hey, good point," Kotetsu had said, then "Um, I can't hit her," so Barnaby powered up and grabbed her wrists to fend her off. Karina gave up, pouting, and Kotetsu appeased her by admitting it was a full prototype suit. So at least she had some idea what she'd be seeing, but not what it looked like or anything else. 

It'd probably have an ass cutout or something. 

* * *

It did not have an ass cutout. It did have high heels, but she was used to that. It looked a lot less bulky than their armor, but otherwise pretty similar, with blue and white plates for the chest, arms, and legs, a lot of the rest of it black. The shoulders on hers were different, more ornate - several layers of blue metal with scalloped edges, about as floral as Nathan's suit was feathery. The headpiece on the gray dummy modeling it was similar to her old one, but with three points, so it was more crown-like. There was a semi-transparent visor extending down from that - she wondered if all the sponsors ordered their parts from the same sources - and she suddenly realized that the room was really quiet. 

"I don't think she heard you, Dr. Saito," Kotetsu said. "You might need to speak up. She's not used to you, remember?" 

Oh right. They'd warned her about this. She bent over and the engineer leaned in very, very slightly and began speaking again. If "speaking" was the right word for it. 

"The suit is made of the same alloy as Tiger's and Barnaby's, but it's lighter and more flexible. You rarely fight hand-to-hand, but you still need to be able to dodge. It's also designed to match the contours of your body, since fanservice is a big part of your act, without sacrificing any protective capacity."

"Fanservice?!" She sighed. She liked the idea of "working it" much better. 

"That's the reason for the high heels, as well. But like the heels on their suits, it should give you some height while remaining stable, though I'm told you're accustomed to high heels." Hey, that was true, they both kind of had stacked heels. Part of why they both seemed so huge. "The headpiece resembles your current suit's headgear but includes all the informational systems and displays available in Tiger and Barnaby's suits. The controls for all of the information systems are the buttons on the right and left side of the tiara. I've already prepared the documentation. I was also told you need a water supply to use your powers?"

"Yeah, kind of. I can use atmospheric moisture when I need to, but if it's too dry - like if we're going into a fire, or if the area's been de-humidified..." Like Rotwang's cells had been. 

"The sleeves conceal a water supply within the suit, and can be shifted if you need access to it. Your suit will naturally be resistant to cold, as well as temperatures up to a thousand degrees fahrenheit, pressures up to--"

"Oh, geez, I can't watch this," Kotetsu said, turning to leave the room. Barnaby snagged him by the collar. 

"--completely bulletproof, of course."

"What's going to happen?" she asked, when she realized the scientist was done talking. He made a sort of squeaking noise that might have been a laugh, and smirked crookedly in a way that she didn't find at all reassuring. He pushed a button, and a gray dummy wearing a logo-less version of her suit dropped down next to the prototype that had been rotating the whole time. 

And then a bunch of guns appeared from the corners of the viewing screen and started firing at both suits. 

* * *

Five minutes later, Karina had seen her old suit swiss-cheesed by bullets, burnt to a crisp, crunched and flattened like a soda can, and shredded by blades. She might never have really _liked_ it, but it was still pretty nerve-racking to see. Especially with Saito smirking proudly after each trial left his creation untouched. "Some of those were new!" Kotetsu said brightly, as Saito pushed a few more buttons. "He didn't do the thing with the knives to my old suit! He used chainsaws on my wires, though, so I guess it's sort of the same principle..." 

"That makes me feel a lot better," she said. The viewing window opened up, bringing the prototype into the main room. She backed away from it. "Is it still hot?" she asked. Saito's lips moved. She sort of whimpered, and he had mercy and shook his head. No. 

"Okay, so what do I need to do to put it on?" 

She leaned in to hear.  "You'll need to put on an undersuit. There's one ready for you in the room down the hall and to the right."

When she came back, holding it up on her chest and needing someone to zip her up, the scientist blushed and Kotetsu made some kind of noise of protest, though he didn't actually succeed in looking away. "I show more than this on billboards!" she said, exasperated. "And in my Titan costume. Barnaby, will _you_ help?" 

"There's actually an automated feature for that," he said, guiding one of her hands to the small of her back. Sure enough, she found a button and her suit did itself up. 

"That's a very weird feeling. Thank you." Having something that covered her neck and didn't pad her boobs was a weird feeling too, but if it was Puritan day in the lab she'd better not point that out. "So now what?" 

Next step involved Saito bringing a large metal box into the test chamber. It swung open, revealing a bare metal framework. "Okay, that's about like what we use to get armored up," Kotetsu said. "I guess ours looks a little more polished." 

"You need to stand in that," Saito told her. "We don't have a full version fitted to you yet, so this was the best we could do to adjust the size. Naturally one will be built for you if you sign on at Apollon."

"So I need to go in there?" Into the test chamber, which was apparently filled with flamethrowers and machine guns. "You guys will avenge my death if he hits the wrong button, right?" 

"Karina!" 

"Don't worry. We'll bring him to justice," Kotetsu said. She walked to the big metal box, doubtfully. "He thinks they should build an adjustable version for future heroes," Kotetsu said. "Hey, don't get rid of us yet! Anyway, the full versions have handholds, so they're easier to stand still for." 

"So you're saying don't move?" 

"Right." 

That wasn't as hard as it could have been. The machine worked fast. When she stepped slowly out of the machine, she flexed her hands, looking through the visor as it evaluated her hands, then re-adjusted to target Kotetsu, then Barnaby, then Saito. Two NEXTs, one human, rough estimates of height, weight, threat level-- "Threat level?" 

"He says it's based on body language," Barnaby said. "Aggressive posture... oh, concealed weapons. That could be useful. Was that in the latest update?" A pause. "I'll turn it back on, then." 

"And the controls are on the crown?" She felt around her head for the button. A clock appeared, then the armor plates on her armor moved with a noise like her digital camera focusing. The other side of her head made the target info disappear for each of the three men in turn. She flexed her hands and took a few steps. The suit didn't feel heavy at all - if anything she felt kind of springy and powerful. No wonder Barnaby had burned his way up the charts that first season. "This is pretty nice." She shot some ice at one of the gun locations, then rode a crest of it across the room and dismounted with a flip. "Nice!" she said, approvingly, and this time Saito smiled. "How long do I get to mess around with this?" 

"AS LONG AS YOU WANT!" She winced. "THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF A SUIT TEST!" Kotetsu was hiding his mouth, like that was enough to keep her from seeing that he was grinning, and Barnaby was very obviously trying not to smile. This must be a thing with Saito. 

She braced herself, and asked "So what else can this do?" 

"I'M GLAD YOU ASKED!" 

If they found this so funny, they could wait around for her to get the whole geeky rundown before they got lunch. 

* * *

Lunch was sushi, after Karina had spent the better part of an hour putting the suit through its paces and getting Saito's improbably loud commentary on the paces. " _Even though_ I'm starving, it's good you got to do that," Kotetsu said over the meal. "Timing wasn't so good with mine, so they just kind of threw me in at the deep end." 

"I wish I could have tried it out in a simulation," she said. "It's not quite the same when you're just running around with it. Maybe if I could have sparred with one of you guys..." She popped a roll into her mouth. 

"It's not a good time for either of us to power up, though," Kotetsu said. "And you can hit pretty hard." 

"Be sure you read the documentation if you take Apollon's offer," Barnaby said. " _He_ never did." 

"It was long! Lots of words." Barnaby rolled his eyes, and Karina snickered. 

"So if I did sign on at Apollon, would it necessarily be a partnership thing? I mean, I'm used to working alone." And she wasn't totally sure about impinging on their working partnership. They made a really good team, and she operated completely differently than they did. 

"That's... a good question," Barnaby admitted, swiping some sashimi from under Kotetsu's reaching chopsticks. "I don't know." 

"When I came on they just told me upfront -- Dammit, Bunny! -- I was the sidekick, all that. You're in a stronger position there. " 

"Not that we'd mind working with you," Barnaby added. 

"You might," she said, smirking at him. "After I've grabbed a few arrests just before you could reach them." 

"Karina, that happens all the time anyway. Wednesday, for instance." 

"Well, if you look at it like that, we're still ranked separately," Kotetsu said. "It's more just that we aren't getting in each other's way... Or maybe playing to each other's strengths, I dunno. It's kind of automatic." Kotetsu tipped his soda back, crunching an ice cube thoughtfully. "But it's not like any of us are as cutthroat as we were a while back. It wouldn't be that much of a change." 

"Maybe not." It was true; back in her rookie season, things hadn't been as casual. The older heroes had been friendly enough, and from what Nathan told her, he'd befriended Sky High and Bison by then, but they kind of kept to themselves. There hadn't been as much chatter in the training center, definitely, however the older heroes might have socialized outside of that. Nathan had sort of intimidated her at first. Sky High had been friendly, but so busy he wasn't around much, while Origami barely spoke to anybody, Kotetsu had kept his distance from everybody except Bison until Barnaby came along - she hadn't even _known_ his real name when she'd spotted the two of them in her bar - and Karina herself had seen everyone as a rival. Kotetsu had always had his tendency to pry and give advice, but part of the reason it never worked was that he hadn't talked to anyone otherwise. "I wonder why that changed?" 

"Having to work together against Jake, maybe?" Kotetsu suggested. 

"Maybe," she agreed. It hadn't hurt. 

"I think it started before that," Barnaby said. "I'm not quite sure when." 

No, he was thinking of when he and Kotetsu had started to work together, she thought. And she would bet he knew exactly how and when things had changed between them. But that might be it. It was the two of them, somehow. Kotetsu had changed right around when Barnaby showed up, like arguing with his partner had recharged him or something, and Barnaby... it had been slower, but he'd changed because of Kotetsu. And that was what had sort of drawn everyone else out, the two of them. "Remember that birthday party?" she asked, not caring if it sounded like a non sequitur. Kotetsu laughed, and Barnaby went for a long-suffering sigh, but he was smiling. 


	14. Chapter 14

Things had definitely changed, like Kotetsu had said; Karina couldn't have imagined, in her rookie season, that she'd be able to get almost the entire cast of Hero TV to help her move. She and Pao-lin had picked out a nondescript two-bedroom apartment about a mile from campus and persuaded their various co-signers to start the lease in July to give them time to get settled in. 

Kotetsu and Barnaby turned up at her parents' house early on the morning of moving day to load up her packed belongings; when they got to the apartment they found Pao-lin and Sky High carrying boxes from an Odysseus truck. Origami had been held up in traffic, they said. Karina had tried to hang around, wanting to see what kind of car Origami drove - it was hard to imagine him traveling by any means other than giant shuriken - but Bison showed up and she and Pao-lin were sent on a mission to Ikea. Bison's truck and Kotetsu's SUV had ferried their new furniture back to the apartment. 

Around three, a low-level Hero TV alert had interrupted, and they lost Kotetsu, Barnaby, Sky High and Bison for a few hours, just before Nathan showed up. Karina's mother dragged her out to buy hangers for her clothes, then when they returned they swiftly left again, this time with Natasha (it was very strange seeing Natasha in jeans) and Pao-lin, to buy things for the kitchen. When they came back that time, they found that most of the furniture had been assembled and Nathan had conjured up fabric swatches and paint color cards, leaving it to Karina to explain to him that this was the kind of apartment you had to restore to its original wall colors when you moved out. Finally she just confiscated them and collapsed on the floor. 

That evening, as she sat on the living room floor with her mother, Nathan, and Natasha, looking at fabric swatches for curtains, she listened with half an ear as Kotetsu and her dad continued building the last of her bedroom furniture. Barnaby had spent all day calling her parents "sir" and "ma'am," to her secret amusement, and while they seemed to like him well enough, her dad had been so taken with Kotetsu she was worried they'd actually start spending time together. She didn't think Kotetsu played golf, at least. 

Barnaby passed through the room, and she leaned back to snag his ankle. "Kotetsu doesn't watch football, does he?" He probably did. She was doomed. 

"Surely he'd have wanted to watch the Super Bowl on my TV at some point in the past two years if he did," Barnaby said. "Why?" 

"I'll explain later." 

Karina's mother draped a selection of swatches over her knees. "Here are your finalists," she said. 

"Umm." The apartment was beige, much to Nathan's dismay. The couch was dark brown. None of the swatches were pink, which was the main guideline she had from Pao-lin. 

"The dark green would bring out the color in those throw pillows," Barnaby commented, before continuing into the kitchen. Natasha leaned back, grabbed one of the pillows, and passed it to Karina's mother, who retrieved the swatches and held them against the throw pillow. 

"There you go," Nathan said. "Somehow I'm not surprised." 

"So we're done?" Karina asked hopefully. 

"We should feed everyone," her mother reminded her, so Karina bounced up, free from talking about curtains, to poll everyone on pizza preferences. 

After the pizza and sodas, people started to filter out. Sky High needed to patrol, Nathan had a charity dinner - no wonder he'd just had a soda - and everyone had work in the morning. Karina's parents hugged her embarrassingly tightly, Kotetsu rumpled her hair, Barnaby hung back long enough that she could kiss him goodbye after her parents went out the door, and she could hear Pao-lin making her own goodbyes in the kitchen. She flopped onto the couch, waving to Natasha as she left, then Origami. Pao-lin followed him, closed the door behind him, and joined her on the couch. 

"What was the verdict on the curtains?" Pao-lin asked. 

"Dark green for the living room. Barnaby's selection. Blue in my room. I dunno about yours." 

"Yellow. Nathan didn't like it, but it's my room, right? If I want the curtains in my favorite color..." 

"Exactly," Karina said, then yawned. "Is it just me, or does it feel like this place doesn't really belong to us yet?" 

"Not just you. It's like we're borrowing it." 

"Maybe unpacking will help. Tomorrow." 

* * *

But the next day she was back to work, recording her podcast, being interviewed, calling the cable company and the bank, going to the grocery store to buy food to fill up _her very own fridge._ Unpacking stretched on and on. Clothes were easy enough, her books and computer, but somehow each box had collected piles of random objects - framed pictures, Blue Rose merchandise prototypes she'd never gotten around to returning, old school papers that for some reason she hadn't just thrown away - and she had to decide what to do with them all. 

The season wore on through August, mostly the kind of dull crimes apparently cooked up by people who didn't have Ouroboros funding behind them, with Karina and Barnaby neck-and-neck for first place. Agnes _loved_ that, the whole sexual-tension-and-rivalry angle, and they were getting tons of screen time, which helped make Robert bearable while she waited for her lawyer to call her about the contract proposals. 

And then there was the fire. 

Someone's stray firework hit an old tinderbox of an apartment building on Bronze. A fully-rented-out old tinderbox. Karina hadn't been on rescue duty. She'd been busy spraying ice where the firefighters asked, usually riding up high, where it was harder to reach. At one point they had her go in to hold up a floor on the verge of collapsing, but that was toward the end of the night. 

It wasn't until the fire trucks and ambulances were leaving, the helicopters pulling away, that their transports pulled up. That was when she noticed that Kotetsu wasn't headed for his like the others were - he was sitting on the stoop, his back to the wreckage, head in his hands. He didn't look up at the sound of her footsteps, and barely did when she spoke. "Were you hurt?" she asked. His faceplate was up, but his armor didn't seem to be more than scuffed and dirtied. 

He shook his head. 

"Is it something else?" She wished she had a better idea how to draw him out. 

"I'm..." Kotetsu shook his head. "I'm okay. Sorry." He got to his feet, slowly, gave her an unconvincing smile, and walked past her toward the transports. She trailed after, unhappy and uncertain. He wasn't okay, but she didn't know what was wrong, or how to make him better. She went into her own transport, pulled off her wig, and studied the line along her scalp where the skin wasn't dusted with soot and ash. She peeled off her gloves, and there it was again, like a tan line. A gray line. She hadn't even been inside the building. 

Some of the ambulances had raced off, sirens wailing, and a couple of them had driven off slowly. And Kotetsu _had_ been on rescue duty. She left her gloves and headed out of the transport, toward the Apollon truck. 

When she opened the door of the truck, she wasn't surprised to find Barnaby with his arms wrapped around Kotetsu, both of them in their undersuits. And if it looked like Barnaby's lips brushed over Kotetsu's cheek she wasn't about to say anything right then. She just went over to them, wrapped her arms around Kotetsu's waist from behind, and held on, her face pressed against the ridged, rubbery fabric of his suit, ignoring his noise of surprise at the new pair of hands. "Rose?" he mumbled. 

"Did you seriously think I was going to believe you were okay?" 

"It was worth a shot..." His voice sounded raspy, and she wasn't sure if it was emotion or the smoke. Maybe both. 

"Neither of us is that gullible, old man," Barnaby said. He sounded a little hoarse, too. 

"I know, I know," Kotetsu said. "This time I mean it, I'm not going to fall apart. Not... I need a shower, okay?" 

"I think we all do," Barnaby said. She felt Barnaby's hand on her shoulder, and she loosened her arms a little around Kotetsu. He half-turned so he could look at both of them. She wasn't sure if he'd been crying or his eyes were just red from the fire. 

"We're staying with you tonight," she said. She'd started stashing an overnight bag in the transport. "Both of us." 

He smiled ruefully at her. "I think I can live with that." 

* * *

Once they'd all relocated to the training center (Kotetsu only had so many towels, or so he claimed) they climbed into Barnaby's car. Kotetsu rested his head against one of the car windows, and they rode in silence, though Karina noticed Barnaby kept glancing in the rear view mirror, checking on him. 

She wanted to ask about what she thought she'd seen in their transport, but obviously she'd have to wait. She looked out her own window, fidgeting with a lock of half-dried hair. She wasn't jealous, or at least, she didn't think she was. It didn't _bother_ her, really, but she wanted to know what was going on. Maybe it bothered her a little. She didn't want to be... left out, she decided, was probably the best way of putting it. At least regarding any kissing that was going on. It wasn't that she wanted to be included in everything; part of the reason the idea of working with them at Apollon worried her was that she didn't want to force herself into the middle of their partnership. 

His neighborhood was familiar now; she recognized when they were close to his house. She glanced back at Kotetsu, who was still leaning against the window, but he caught her eye and tried to smile. "It's not that bad," he said, the first words any of them had spoken since they got in the car. "Used to be I had to get myself home and deal with it alone, you know?" 

And before that he'd had his wife. Would that make it harder to deal with it alone, the fact that he hadn't always had to? "That doesn't mean it wasn't bad," she said, but she didn't know what else to say. She didn't know exactly what had happened in the burning building, and she wasn't sure she ought to ask. She'd seen people die, though she'd never been in the position of carrying them out herself; she'd come home drained and shaken after bad nights and just needed her parents to hug her. Kotetsu should have that too. 

Everyone should. She wondered if Nathan was okay; she'd have to call Pao-lin to check on her, and let her know where she was. But they were in front of Kotetsu's house, and Kotetsu seemed to be holding up just fine as he went up the steps and let himself in. Barnaby opened the trunk and she pulled out her bag. "Karina," he said, quietly. 

She met his eyes; he looked a lot more upset than she was used to seeing him. "I don't know if you... saw, in the transport earlier..." 

"Just don't go comforting him with tongue unless I'm around to watch," she said lightly, and she got the full effect as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "Sorry. Too flippant?" 

"...just... surprising..." he managed. He pulled off his glasses and started cleaning them, while she tried to get her own expression under control. 

"Did something change?" she asked, seriously. And sounding serious, thank goodness. 

"I don't know." He closed the car's trunk. "I mean, yes, but I don't know what. When I first returned from retirement, things seemed... different from before. Like we weren't as close. And then over this spring and summer, it's been like before, or better. Because of you." 

"How could I have any effect on you and Kotetsu working together?" 

Barnaby glanced at the house. The door was still closed. "Maybe he had some idea of my feelings for him, and it put him on edge? Once you and I were together, he felt more comfortable?" 

Karina shook her head. "I was way more obvious with my crush than you were and he had no idea. That can't be it." 

"Subconsciously," Barnaby persisted, but then he shrugged. "I don't know. It was just a possibility. Maybe it's just that I'm happier." 

"Maybe it's just that you knew he needed you right then," she said, picking up her bag. 

He put a hand on the bag's handle, and leaned in to kiss her. When she kissed him again, she felt his arm go around her waist, and he buried his face against her shoulder. "I love you," he said. "I wouldn't have given up on Kotetsu if I weren't serious about you, and I don't want to... to endanger that with impulsiveness, or--" 

"He's still your partner," she said. "And you two need each other, even if you don't like to admit it. Either of you." She wrapped her arms around him. "Bunny," she said, and she felt him sigh. 

"Yes?" 

"Let's go inside. I don't think right now is a good time to freak out about this, even if neither of us is as shaken up as he is. I'm just glad you brought it up because I didn't want to, I was afraid it'd seem like I was jealous, or you'd just claim it never happened and I must have imagined it. You kissed him on the cheek. It's not a big deal. Let's go inside and make sure he's okay." 

"All right," he said, stepping back and pulling her bag from her hand. "Let's go." 

* * *

When they opened the door, they were greeted by the smell of cooking oil and... something seafood-y? "I wonder what this might be," Barnaby said, loudly enough for Kotetsu to hear. 

"Three guesses," Kotetsu called back from the kitchen. 

"First two don't count?" she asked, heading for the kitchen. 

"Right!" 

"You are such a _dad,_ " she said, and Kotetsu actually smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling up, and it was enough for her to hope he was feeling better for real, not just to make them not worry. They ate sitting on the couches - he had too much junk mail piled on the table and the dining bar - and ended up talking about how Karina and Pao-lin were settling into their new apartment, if her parents were enjoying their empty nest, if she and Pao-lin needed to borrow any of Kotetsu's junk mail until they accumulated their own clutter. 

"Only if we get to return it," she said. He seemed to be smiling as he got up, carrying his plate to the kitchen, but when he returned with a glass of something amber over ice, he just looked exhausted. 

He must have noticed her noticing. "It's not an emergency," he said. "After a day like today, anyone would want a drink. It's a glass, not a bottle." 

"You're not wrong," Barnaby said, collecting Karina's empty plate. 

"Help yourself," Kotetsu called over his shoulder. 

"You weren't doing so well earlier," she said, softly, not sure this was really the right idea. 

"I know." He sipped whatever he had. Barnaby had said he liked shochu. Whatever that was. "It was just... You're in there, trying to get people out, but you can't always get everyone. And with one minute, I always... it's one thing against criminals. I have a pretty good idea when to use it in a fight. But a rescue situation, you have to pick the right time, because other peoples' lives depend on it, and you can't predict what's coming up next. Hard not to second-guess yourself. It was bad enough with five minutes, but with one?" 

"You couldn't have saved five times as many people," Barnaby said, returning with a drink of his own. "That's not how rescues work. Or fires." 

Kotetsu shook his head. "There was a point on the fourth story - I could hear people yelling down the hall, but it was blocked off, and I couldn't get through to get to them until you got there. I'd already used mine. And by the time you were able to shift the debris--" 

"Oh God, Kotetsu," Barnaby said. "That apartment. I didn't realize you were stuck there, that long before I arrived. It was bad enough getting there too late." 

"Yeah. I was trying to get by, but I wasn't making any headway for... I don't know. A minute, minute and a half. I was able to toss, like, individual cinderblocks, and there was an entire apartment from a floor above blocking the hall. Everyone else had their hands full, and you were on your way out with someone and back up. Maybe they wouldn't have made it even if I'd been able to get through myself and get them out, but standing there, not able to do anything..." He rubbed one hand over his face. "I don't know how many people I got out alive, because I just remember those three kids by the door." 

She got up and went over to him, and he set his drink down on the coffee table and put his arms around her waist. His head rested against her upper chest, where her cleavage would be if she had any. She rubbed his shoulders, feeling him trembling, and remembering how there was a time when being this close to him would have been the highlight of her day. She heard the clink of ice against glass, and Barnaby brushed past her to sit on his other side. "You saved over a dozen people," she said. "I had Mario down low so I could hear the firefighters, but I heard that near the end." 

"Yeah," Kotetsu mumbled, and sighed. "Sorry I'm such a wreck,' he added. "It's not like we haven't all been through this." 

"Of course we have," she said. The roof had started to cave in, and Karina hadn't been able to brace it up fast enough. There had been three or four others, but the one face she remembered was the woman who'd looked right at her; freckles, curly auburn hair, a gray Stern Bild Myrmidons sweatshirt. And then the roof had fallen, cutting the woman off from view. It hadn't seemed real, at first, more like a scene from a movie. A fakeout when you think the character's dead but then she lives. 

"That's why we understand how it feels," Barnaby said. "So you can't tell us it's nothing and you're fine. We both know better." 

"I wish I could say you get used to it," he said. "I'm not much of a veteran, huh?" 

"Because it's _terrible_ for a hero to care about people," Karina retorted. 

"Yes, kindness is a huge handicap in a profession that's all about saving lives," Barnaby added. 

"I mean, rough on the hero, but still." 

"Okay, okay," Kotetsu sighed. "Smart-mouthed kids." 

* * *

After a while, when he stopped shaking, she sank down next to him on the couch, and the three of them curled up in a pile. "I used to try to memorize the names," Kotetsu said. "Everyone I saved, everyone I couldn't save. I couldn't do it. I guess I just ran out of room." 

"I still remember the first person I ever saved," Karina said. "Lucia Nguyen. It was after a car bombing at a big shopping center." And the first she hadn't saved. She wasn't going to say that. 

"Oh, so do I," Kotetsu said. "Not by name, but by face. This little old lady, and a banker in a suit. The lady was named Elizabeth, I remember that. And I know some of the names - the ones that send fan mail, or Christmas cards." 

Barnaby's glass clinked as he drained the last of it. "Depending on when you start counting... my first rescue was either Kaede, or you, Kotetsu." 

"Wait, you knew about Kaede?" 

He sighed, but his voice was fond. "Kotetsu, it took you about two weeks to start showing me pictures. Of course I remembered her." 

Karina poked Kotetsu's side, and he squirmed. "What did I say about telling people things?" 

"Um," he hedged. "That I should do it?" 

"Don't use long words with him, Karina," Barnaby said. "Thnk flash cards." 

"Hey," Kotetsu protested. "I know you're ticklish, now. Don't push me." 

She rested her head against Kotetsu's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Listening to you two bicker is like a lullaby," she said sleepily. Kotetsu kind of scoffed, but she'd meant it. She woke to the sound of her name. 

"Huh," Kotetsu said. "I thought you were joking." 

"Nuh-uh. What happened?" 

"He wanted to know if you'd decided between Helios and Apollon," Barnaby said. 

"No," she said, and stifled a yawn. "Not yet. I still have to meet with my lawyer to talk about the contract offers, and I'm sure Titan will have a counter-offer, and with me as MVP it's probably gonna be good, but before that... I don't know. I like the Apollon suit a _lot,_ and of course my parents are in favor of armor too. Partnering up with Nathan would probably be a lot of fun... did I tell you he designed me a cape like his?" 

"You can hypnotize criminals with it," Barnaby suggested. "And audiences." 

"Right?" she agreed happily. 

"You don't wanna work with us?" Kotetsu sounded a bit wistful. 

"It's not that." She tried to clear her mind enough to describe it. "I love you guys, but I don't want to get in the way. I mean, you were partners before I ever came along... or before I got to know you both, I mean... ugh, I'm too sleepy for this." 

"Y'know, even if it was Yoko Ono's fault, you're not her," Kotetsu said. 

"What?" Barnaby sounded legitimately confused. 

"What'd I tell you about him and music?" Kotetsu asked. 

"I don't remember." She sat up, her side feeling cold where she'd been leaning against Kotetsu, and rubbed her eyes. "I don't think I'd break you up. I just don't want to be the... it's not third wheel." 

"Fifth wheel," Barnaby said. 

"Third makes more sense," Kotetsu objected. "Because it's always, like, a third person tagging along with a couple. Like me with you guys." 

"Or me," Karina said. "And I told you to stop... that. Thing you do." 

"But if you add a third wheel to a bicycle you get something more stable. A fifth wheel is just extraneous." 

"I thought I didn't understand long words," Kotetsu teased. Karina flopped over sideways across both their laps. 

"You're not extraneous," she told Kotetsu, blinking him into focus. The lights above were too bright, and she squinted, but then Barnaby's hand stroking her hair shaded her eyes. "I already told you that." 

Kotetsu smiled at her, a real one this time. His head was on Barnaby's shoulder. "You're not either," he said. "Karina." 


End file.
